I'm Sorry, Shikamaru
by ArAshiMitArAshi
Summary: It was an accident. It was a mistake. It was just a one night stand. But it started it all. How Shikamaru and Ino were going to deal with the shocking pregnancy?
1. One Night

_A/N: Welcome! This story is __not your typical ShikaIno story__, so, many of you might find it frustrating – what with the __twisted plot and love confusion__ (not to mention lots of grammar mistakes!) Be prepared! There's a lot of ANGST and DRAMA in here! And when you start to feel weary or bored, just remember: __have a little FAITH in me__. _

_Inspiration for this story came when I was stuck in my boring Entrepreneurship class. A classmate walked in late. She is pregnant. Just like that an idea struck me and here's this story. Enjoy._

**DISCLAIMER: NARUTO IS ALWAYS MASASHI KISHIMOTO'S.**

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**I'M SORRY, SHIKAMARU**

**Chapter 1: One Night**

"Ino?" Sakura waved in front of the blonde's face. The blue eyes were distant and dreamy. "Earth to, Ino!"

Suddenly, she was back to reality. Sakura had successfully got her head out of the clouds. Still, her eyes were wide, her breathing was harsh. She wanted to say something but the words were stuck in her throat.

"Ino, are you alright?" Sakura asked worriedly. She patted Ino's back in soothing movements. "You look so pale…"

"Sakura…" It was a whisper. Ino swallowed hard. It was difficult for her to produce words. "Tell me that _it_ isn't true, please…"

Sakura lowered her gaze to her feet. As much as she wanted to deny the fact, but honestly she couldn't. "I'm sorry, Ino." Her voice was bitter. "But it's positive."

The words exploded in Ino's ears. She shut her eyes tight, gritting her teeth as the reality bit her skin. Her fingers were balled in firm grips, so tight they almost bleed. Her face was pale from shock.

Really, she didn't expect this to happen.

"Ino, are you okay?"

Seriously, this was not supposed to happen!

"Ino?" Sakura's concerned voice cornered her. Now that her best friend knew, Ino wasn't sure what to do.

She inhaled the bitter feeling that rose in the hollow pit of her stomach and showed her best smile. "Yeah. Don't worry. I'm fine, Sakura." She nodded reassuringly. "I _will_ be fine."

Sakura's hand came to rest on her shoulder the moment she was going to stand. "Wait, Ino." Her voice turned serious. "Don't leave just yet. We have something to discuss."

"I know." Ino nodded weakly. "But can we talk about it later?"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know."

Sakura sighed heavily. Letting go of Ino's shoulder, she occupied the seat Ino left. She shook her head slowly. "I don't understand. How did it happen?"

Ino bit her bottom lip and shrugged. "It just…happened."

"Things didn't just happened, Ino."

"I know but –" Ino inhaled sharply. Tears were beginning to form at the corner of her eyes. "In this case, it just happened. I have no control."

"Did you know what you were doing the moment you were doing it?"

Ino turned to face Sakura. "I was drunk. Are you blaming me?"

"No, but…" Sakura chuckled humorlessly. "I guess he was drunk, too. If not, he could've used protection."

The blush quickly colored Ino's face. "We didn't intend to do it in the first place. Like I said before–"

"Yeah, yeah…" Sakura cut in, waving her hand. "It just happened, right?"

"See you later." Ino gave a quick, weary smile.

"Are you going to find him?"

"I don't know." Ino shrugged. "I need to clear my head first."

"Better tell him fast. Then together decide what to do."

Ino nodded but she knew that was the hardest task ever. Before she left the medical room, she turned to look at her best friend again. "Hey, are you really sure it's positive?"

Sighing, Sakura nodded. "Yeah." She confirmed. "It's a hundred percent positive."

**

* * *

Ino walked aimlessly around the village. She had no specific place to go. Should she start looking for him? The thought occurred in her mind but she shrugged it off quickly. She didn't have to do that. She was sure that sooner or later, she will meet him.**

She looked up at the sky. It was blue, cloudless, no sign of rain. She huffed. Her breath was heavy and tense. Seriously, how was she supposed to solve the big problem?

How ironic, that a single event could change her life forever.

It was just an accident, a mistake, a one night stand.

They didn't have anything to begin with. They were just friends, who celebrated the Sakura festival together, hanging out with the others, went drinking afterwards. Maybe they drank too much that night because as they walked home together in such swaying motions, holding each other for support, talking and laughing all the way, they didn't realize that a simple line could affect the rest of the night.

"You wanna know something?" He had said to her, hiccupping from too much alcohol. "You're hot."

"Oh, really?" She giggled. Her head was light. She felt like she was flying. "I'm hot?"

"Yeah." He admitted easily. Maybe he didn't realize those words escaped his mouth. He drew her body closer to him as she was about to fall and they ended up stumbling on the floor. Thank goodness they had safely arrived at her apartment; otherwise they would end up lying on the street. She was on top, he was below. "But I guess you never knew that."

"Know what?"

"That I thought of you that way."

"Guess what?" She looked at him with half-lidded eyes. "You're hot, too."

"Really?" He chuckled. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah…" She moved upward until their faces were impossibly close, lips barely met. "So hot it makes me want to kiss you right now…"

_There_, Ino concluded. _It just happened._

The next day, they woke up with terrible hangovers and decided not to talk about that matter and just pretended that nothing happened between them. Nothing was going to change anyway. They were friends, close friends to be exact and was comfortable with the relationship and wanted it to be maintained.

They buried that one night memory so deeply at the back of their head, never wanted to dig it out. They lived their lives according to their usual routines, still hanging out together, still having good times.

But the cursed day had finally arrived. They have to face the thing they were running from all these times.

Without Ino realizing, her feet brought her to the place where he always been whenever he was free from work. From afar, she could see the smoke coming from him.

"Shikamaru." She approached him. Her face was serious. "I have something to tell you."

Luckily, he was alone. That made her revelation a little easier. "What is it?" He replied, taking a slow drag of the cigarette. His face looked bored as always, but he paid attention to her nonetheless.

Ino found her feet were rather interesting than his face. Gathering all her courage, she blurted out, "I'm sorry."

His brows arched high, the cigarette hung limply between his lips. "For what?"

Ino felt her heart began to ache, so painfully it was killing her. Shikamaru studied her expression in confusion. "What is it? Something bad? Tell me."

"I'm sorry…" She tried to hold her tears. "I'm so sorry…"

"Troublesome…" He muttered silently upon seeing the tears. He looked around for any signs of people. He didn't want to be seen with a crying girl. "Hey, don't cry." He used his thumb to brush the tears away. "Now care to tell me what the matter is?"

Ino bowed down, didn't dare to look at his face. With a small shaken voice, she told him the truth.

"I'm pregnant."

The cigarette fell from his mouth.

"Wh-what?" His eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, sobbing quietly. "I was late, so I took a test. Sakura told me it's positive."

He was speechless for such a long time that she started to wonder about her decision to tell him about the news was right. Among all the guys she knew, though Shikamaru was lazy as hell, he actually was a very responsible person. She had seen that trait in him every time he conducted his team on missions.

But then again, maybe that responsibility responded only towards certain commitments.

She waited patiently for his answer but at last, the thing she wanted to hear was totally different from the thing he said.

"Are you sure the baby's mine?"

Her blood heated up instantly. She jerked her head up in anger. Seriously, she never thought of hearing him uttering those words, those _painful_ words. Without telling her directly, he meant to tell her that she was _that_ kind of girl. Her heart ached again.

"You bastard…" Ino hissed angrily, shoving a finger into his chest. "How dare you talking to me like that when you are the one who took my virginity that night! Of course the baby's _yours_! Who do you think I am? A slut?! I've never been with any guy but you!"

He sighed heavily, scratching the back of his neck. "Troublesome… I didn't expect this to happen…"

The way he responded to that matter looked like he didn't care at all. Ino felt her shoulders were heavy, burdened with another weigh of pain. After hearing that shocking news, she needed support, seriously, and most importantly from him. She couldn't go through this alone. After all, he was the father!

They were young, too young to carry that big responsibility.

But seeing him now…

Ino nodded weakly, finally understood what he was trying to say although he made no effort to mutter any more words. He just stood there, smoking a fresh stick of cigarette, eyes fixed on the clouds, wordless.

He didn't tell those comforting words she wanted to hear, that he will take that responsibility, that he will take care of her and their child, that they will go through this together…

He was just as rigid as ice.

_Of course_, she noted with sarcasm. _The news must've shocked the hell out of him._

"Okay." It was a whisper. Ino wondered if he could hear her but she remained speaking that way. "Okay, I understand…" She closed her eyes, turned and began to walk away. "I'll do _it_ right now."

Shikamaru seized her elbow fast. He spun her around and confronted her teary face. He looked grim, his expression was bitter.

"_Don't."_ He shook his head. His gaze was on her stomach. "Don't ever think of doing it."

"So what am I supposed to do?!" Suddenly she screamed, unable to control her raging heart anymore. Her tears leaked out of her eyes like broken pipes. She looked at him angrily, daring him to say anything to fix the situation. "Let the baby live in my belly? Give birth after eight months? Just like that? I'm not married, what will people think of me?!"

"Troublesome…" He forced his genius to work out a plan, any plan to save her honor and his. Surely they couldn't hide her pregnancy for long! Soon Ino's growing belly will be impossible to cover.

His eyes were clouded with uncertainty. "Don't worry." He patted her shoulder lightly. "I'll take care of you."

That was not a promise of a lifetime. There will be no marriage for sure. For her, that just wasn't enough. But she knew he was not ready to end his bachelorhood just yet.

"You don't have to go on mission. I'll make up something to Godaime." He took a long last drag of the cigarette before crushing it on the ground with his foot. "I will support you."

Ino waited for a little bit more promising words but that was it. Shikamaru was only willing to go that far.

"Soon it will be hard to cover…" Ino put a hand on her still flat stomach. "When the time comes, what should we do?"

Shikamaru followed her gaze. "We'll think of something."

Ino looked at his troubled expression. "Maybe I should go on with the abortion. It will save us from more trouble."

"No."

"But, Shikamaru –"

"Don't worry, Ino. Relax. I'll take care of you. You can count on me."

Ino sighed heavily. How could she not worry?! She was the one with the growing belly!

"Hey…" She drew his attention to her. She looked at him with hurtful eyes. "Do you want this baby? Be honest."

Shikamaru was quiet once again. Ino could've guessed his answer.

"No."

…**to be continued.**

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_Updates will be random._


	2. Rheology

**Chapter 2: Rheology**

It was a bright sunny day but Ino could hear the sound of thunder exploded right in her ears.

Never in her seventeen years had she felt that a simple word could cause a world-class damage to her heart. It scratched, it tore, and it burnt until there was nothing left for her to feel. The word was like rain of acid; sour, sharp, biting, ill-natured. Having the word "No" uttered straight to her face was like having her life cut into half.

Ino never thought that that word could be that painful.

And what made it more painful was the reality that it was Shikamaru who uttered that simple "No."

Her tears were shed again. But this time, it wasn't for her. She cried out of pity for her belly, for the baby inside. She cried because of the man who fathered her child didn't acknowledge the baby's existence, she cried for the baby's future. She cried because she knew that a child who was born out of wedlock will go through a hard life.

"Ino, you okay?"

She felt her senses began to grow numb. Her tears won't stop. Instead, they overflowed from her eyes. Her head began to feel dizzy, stress and tension seemed to stir something down at the hollow pit of her stomach. Without warning, without caution, the nauseous feeling rose again, and this time, it was greater than she ever felt since the first time she felt it.

"Oi, Ino?"

Her face must be pale like death, she knew. She must've looked horrible. Ino shielded her mouth with her palm; her thin brows were knotted with uncertainty, holding the extreme disgust from leaking out.

But it was impossible to hold. And there, wordlessly, she vomited right in front of Shikamaru's confused face.

"Ino!"

She kneeled on the ground and threw all the contents of her stomach out. Unpleasant odor filled the atmosphere. And while throwing up, she didn't stop crying. Doing those acts at the same time made her gag. She choked for air, having difficulties to breathe.

Shikamaru's small eyes grew wide. He was panicked for sure.

He knelt down beside her. "Hey, are you sick?" His voice contained one hundred percent concern.

Ino didn't reply.

"Oi, Ino?" A pause. "Answer me!"

She waved a hand to his face. "Go away…"

"Wha-?"

"I'm…fine…"

"No, you're not." Shikamaru stared at Ino in horror. He never saw her looking so terrible like that before. He gripped her shoulder tight. "I'll take you to the hospital."

"No…" Ino shook her head, still throwing up, still crying. "Trust…me. I'm –"

"Well, you don't look fine to me!" Shikamaru yelled furiously. He was truly panicked. Big time.

"She's fine." Suddenly, a feminine voice echoed from the back. Shikamaru whipped his head around and saw the pink-haired medic was walking towards them. A worried look was cast on her face.

Sakura knelt beside Ino's free side and put a hand on the blonde's back, patting her gently.

"You don't look okay when you left me so I decided to check up on you. How are you feeling?"

"Terri…ble…"

"As expected." Sakura sighed. "You're not that stable yet."

"What happened to Ino?" Shikamaru intruded.

Sakura looked at him but quickly turned her head back to Ino. "So, I assume he knew? You've told him?"

Ino gave a brief nod.

"I see. You finished?"

"Ye-yeah."

"Good. Let's go back to your house first. It's so hot out here. Can you walk?"

Ino tried to stand but her legs felt like jelly. She almost fell down but Shikamaru took her in his arms fast.

"Let me," he said to Sakura as he hoisted Ino more comfortably and carried her all the way home.

**x**

"So what did he say?"

After asking for a few minutes alone with Ino, Sakura didn't waste any more time to ask about Shikamaru's reaction regarding to her best friend's pregnancy.

Lying down comfortably in her bed, Ino drifted her gaze from the white-painted ceiling to Sakura's green eyes. Pain reflected in her clear blue eyes. Ino swallowed hard, pushing her beginning tears away.

"He said not to worry." She replied bluntly. "He'll take care of me."

"Well, that's a relief." Sakura exhaled a tense breath. "I thought he was going to run away."

"He's not _that_ irresponsible." Ino muttered. Frustration was all over her gloomy face. A tear fell from her eye.

Sakura gently wiped it. "So what is it that bothering you? You look so down…"

Ino didn't answer. She breathed hard. The pain was throbbing in her chest again. This was really a serious matter. Her pregnancy wasn't to be expected, especially the baby she had in her belly wasn't resulting from passionate love between lovers. Shikamaru and she were just friends. What happened that night was clearly could not be expressed as _making love_.

It was just…sex, an accidental sex, obviously.

She was not prepared to be a mother, well, for the time being. She was just seventeen, still green, far from ready to give up her teenage life. She was young, they were both young, innocent and naïve about how this adult thing work. Parenthood was never their everyday topics.

But guess that it had to start sooner or later, and judging from the way things happened now, it was very, very soon.

She had to prepare no matter what; for the sake of her baby.

"I'm afraid, Sakura. I'm so afraid… He said that he'll take care of me but I'm not sure… I expected more of him… I wanted more convincing words, aside from only _taking care_." Ino sighed heavily. "My future, my baby's future…is all a blur to me…"

Sakura squeezed the blonde's hand. "Do you want him to marry you?"

Ino smiled weakly. She shot a playful look. "That's not a bad idea, don't you think?"

"You want him to marry you."

The look in Ino's eyes was far and distant. Even she didn't answer, Sakura knew what was going on in her mind.

"A marriage could save the problem, though there is no love exists between us." Ino stated. "It is way much better aside _that _one option."

"What is _that _one option?" Sakura frowned.

"Abortion."

Sakura's eyes grew wide. "Abortion?! Hell no! Don't ever think of doing it!"

"That's what he said." Ino shrugged, cared less. "He asked me not to do it. He told me to keep the baby but actually he didn't want the baby. He thought this whole thing troublesome."

"How about you? Do you want the baby?"

Ino turned quiet. Sakura looked through the distant blue eyes, trying to read her mind.

"Why, yes." The blonde nodded confidently. "Yes, yes of course. You think I dare to kill a living existence inside me, my own baby? But without the support I need, most importantly from him, how am I supposed to carry on with this matter? Surely, Shikamaru only is willing to go as far as taking care of me."

"Just tell him you want a marriage."

"I don't want to force him into doing something he didn't want. He won't be happy." Ino's voice lowered. Her gaze fell on the closed door. She almost could see Shikamaru from behind the door, doing his usual thing whenever he was in her house; napping. "What am I supposed to do…?"

"Maybe you should put a little more faith in him. He's smart, he'll work something out."

"Funny…" Ino chuckled lightly. "He said the same thing, too…"

"Everything will flow if you wait just long enough(1). Maybe he'll decide to marry you one day." Sakura smiled. "You don't have to worry. Just believe in him. Time will tell."

"I hope you're right." Ino whispered.

Sakura rose. "Then I leave you to rest for now. Go to sleep. I want to talk to him about a few things important."

**x**

"Is she okay?"

Sakura closed the door behind her and walked towards Shikamaru, joining him on the couch. Worried, concern, confused, everything was written all over his face.

"Yeah. Don't worry. She's fine."

"Ino didn't sick or anything, did she?"

"Nope."

"Then what was with her vomiting just now?"

Sakura smiled at the naïve young man. "Her vomiting is called "morning sickness". You have to prepare yourself for lots of this to come, Shikamaru – since Ino tell me that you said you will take care of her. She will be doing this regularly in her first trimester."

"_Trimester_?"

"It's a medical term." Sakura explained. "Naturally, human pregnancy lasts about nine months, typically broken into three periods, or trimesters, each of about three months. The first trimester period carries the highest risk of miscarriage and holds all sorts of problems, especially to new mothers."

The worried look on Shikamaru's face faded quickly upon hearing the word "problems". "_Problems_? Troublesome… What kind of problems?"

"Let's see…" Sakura looked up the ceiling thoughtfully, trying to remember what she had learned during her medical training. Though she was still a freshman in the medical field, she had enough experience to handle this sort of thing. "Um, problems like changes in everyday moods –"

Shikamaru held up his hand. "_Changes _in everyday moods? As in…_mood swings_?"

Sakura nodded. "Shikamaru sighed and threw his head back.

"Troublesome…"

"Some women will also experience cramping during their first trimester. This is usually of no concern unless there is spotting or bleeding as well. Months four through six of the pregnancy are called the second trimester. Most women feel more energized in this period, and begin to put on weight as the symptoms of morning sickness subside and eventually fade away – which I need to remind you of one thing important."

"What is it?"

"Since this whole thing is still a secret from society – only the three of us knew – but it's only for the time being. You better prepare for any kinds of solution that you could think of when the time comes."

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru narrowed his gaze. "What…_time_?"

"Ino's belly is starting to show when it comes to the second trimester. At that time, I doubt you two could do anything to cover her pregnancy." Sakura turned to look at Ino's door. "Especially when Ino always wears that kind of clothes. People will question if she suddenly change her style." Shikamaru nodded, understood. "But don't worry. You can count your secret on me. I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Thanks." His voice contained deep gratitude. His genius began to work a plan, any plan. "Is there anything I need to know?"

"Yes. About Ino's diet…"

"Ah…" Shikamaru smirked lightly. "What about that?"

"You need to watch her food very, very closely. Because starting from now on, she has to eat properly. Diet is a taboo. It is important for expecting mother to eat a _healthy_ diet. Eating a variety of foods, including dairy products and several fruits and vegetables daily is a must, remember that. Balancing carbohydrates, fat, and proteins –"

"Are you saying that after a few months, Ino will get _fat_?"

"Well, I guess you could say that."

"She'll freak out."

"I know." Sakura chuckled a little. "But it's natural for pregnant woman to get fat. Even if she _doesn't_, her belly _will_."

"I want to see that…" Shikamaru stared ahead thoughtfully. "So, what's next, Sakura?"

"I think we've covered it all." Sakura noted.

Shikamaru sighed at the thought of lots of work to be done. Watching over Ino's diet, preparing himself for her dangerous mood swings, her morning sickness… His head started to hurt when thinking about all that. He reached for the cigarette pack in his pocket.

"Gosh, I forgot to mention. Last but not least, no smoking in the house." Sakura took the cigarette away from his hand. "You don't want your baby to smell the smoke, do you?"

"Troublesome…"

"Let me remind you once again." Sakura drew his attention back. "Ino have to be very, very careful in the first trimester. Most miscarriages occur during this period. So, you should watch over her even in sleep, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru almost rolled his eyes. "Are you suggesting that I should move in with her?"

_How about a marriage, Shikamaru? _Sakura wanted to retort but she let those words buried deep in her throat. Ino would not want her to bring that subject up. She wanted Shikamaru to think about that himself. "No… But you have to check on Ino regularly, Shikamaru. For the time being, it's better for you two to live separately. But you guys live close to each other so I guess that would be fine."

"Ah…"

"What about her mission?"

"I'll make up something to Godaime."

Sakura nodded. "Right. Then the problem's settled for the time being. I'll check up on her from time to time, I promise. Take a real _good_ care of her, okay?"

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered. "But you got yourself a promise."

…**to be continued.**

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_A/N: Information about the pregnancy is taken from Wikipedia. (1) __Rheology: __panta rei – everything flows__ (Greek philosopher, Heraclitus). Translated into rheological terms by Marcus Reiner this means __"Everything will flow if you wait just long enough"__ (something I learned in my chemistry class.)_


	3. Restriction

_A/N: The tension is building. Muahaha…_

**

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**

**Chapter 3: Restriction**

Ino could never forget the way Shikamaru said the word "No" when she asked whether or not he wanted the baby.

Never.

It hurt so much that her heart slowly died.

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?!"

Ino blinked, staring at the obviously mad guy in front of her. For a second, she was lost for words. The look on Shikamaru's face was a complete different from his usual facial expression. No more bored eyes, no more mild, sober reflection. Shikamaru looked like he was ready to blow the whole Konohagakure into dust.

"What are you doing here?" Ino asked tiredly, taking off her sandal and welcomed herself into her own apartment. Since she had given Shikamaru a duplicate key to her apartment – it was easier for him to take care of her that way, he said – it was not surprising to see he was already inside before she got back. But what freaked the hell out of her was the fact that Shikamaru was furious.

It was crystal clear that he was furious because of her.

"What am I doing here?!" His voice was loud. He followed her into the kitchen. "I was waiting for you! Do you know how worried I was?!"

Ino glanced at Shikamaru briefly, drinking a glass of water.

"I can see that." She answered quietly, didn't want to cast more of his wrath out. She knew exactly why he was mad. Somehow, she already expected this to happen.

Shikamaru blew out some more steam. It seemed like he hadn't cooled down, even after seeing Ino made a safe comeback, uninjured and alive. "I've told you not to go on missions anymore! Why won't you listen to me?! What if something happens to you?!"

Ino didn't dare to retort. Shikamaru had his reasons to be mad.

"Didn't Sakura tell you that miscarriage could easily occur in the early period of pregnancy? Don't tell me you didn't know that!" Shikamaru paced back and forth, trying to calm himself down. He had been worried sick since three days ago; knowing that Ino was gone on a mission _without informing him_ really drove him crazy. He was afraid that something bad will happen to her.

The next day after the revelation, he had gone straight to see the Hokage to discuss about Ino but of course without revealing the truth. He planned to say that Ino wanted to teach and sent him to make the deal because she was busy.

But he was a few minutes too late. The moment he arrived at the Hokage's office, without even had the chance to work out his plan, Godaime Hokage mentioned about Ino's leaving for a mission somewhere at the nearby village.

That really got him on his nerves.

"Why did you agree to go on that mission?"

"It was just a C-class mission, Shikamaru." Ino answered bitterly and headed to her bedroom.

"At least you could've told me you're leaving!"

"I'm sorry. Next time I tell you, okay?"

"There will be no next time, Ino. Starting from now on, you're not allowed to go on missions. It's risky, it's dangerous, especially in the first three months. What will your teammates think when they watch you throw up – wait, I think they already see that…"

Ino shrugged carelessly. "I told them I had upset stomach. They believed me. _Do not worry much, Shikamaru._" She unclasped her back pouch and kunai holder and tossed them on her dresser and began undressing, making Shikamaru halted at her door.

"But I was and still am." His voice softened abruptly. His eyes trailed down her length, watching the exposed creamy skin was revealed little by little. Something flickered in those deep pools of his dark eyes. He had no intentions to drift his gaze somewhere else. He had seen her like that before, the first time in his life on the night they had sex, though the image was blurry in his mind, totally different from what he was witnessing right now.

Ino discarded the last piece of her clothing on the floor, leaving her only clad in her underwear. She cared less about him watching her. She was so damn tired. All that mattered to her now was getting some nice hot bath and go to sleep afterwards.

She glanced at Shikamaru, holding a towel close to her body. "We'll talk later okay?"

Shikamaru eyed her briefly before taking his leave. "I'm staying the night."

* * *

"Where are you going?" Shikamaru asked the next morning, as he watched the blonde put on her ninja gear and slipping into her sandal.

Ino glanced up at him briefly then answered casually, "Out."

Shikamaru narrowed his gaze. "Don't tell me that you…" He saw Ino nodded, approving his thought. "Oi, Ino! Have you forgotten what Sakura told us?"

"Practicing a little won't affect much." Ino stated, getting weary of his control. Who did he think he was? As far as she knew, he was _nobody_. "I'm bored to death."

A scowl was clearly written across Shikamaru's face. The lazy nin tucked his hands into his pockets, leaning against the wall. "So, what are you planning to do?"

"A little of this, a little of that…"

"Make that clear."

Ino grunted. "Some kunai throwing, satisfied?"

"Troublesome…"

"I'm leaving."

"Wait." Ino startled. She turned round and looked at Shikamaru. He slowly pushed himself off of the wall, still in his laid back manner. "I'm coming with you."

The blonde let out a depressed sigh. "You don't have to watch over me."

Shikamaru simply smirked a little, glancing sideway at her as his steps fell alongside her. "I know. I'm watching the clouds instead."

"_Right_."

So watched the clouds Shikamaru did. While Ino was throwing her kunai precisely at her target, he was lying flat on his back on the ground, with his arms tucked under his head, eyes fixing intently above. He lost in his own thoughts and she in her own world. The quiet and peaceful atmosphere was not long however, when Ino suddenly dropped on her knees, her face was pale and embedded with sweat, one hand across her mouth.

She frowned deeply, holding something inside her gut from going out.

Shikamaru got up quickly and went beside her, kneeling just as she was. In a concern voice, he spoke softly, "Wanna throw up?"

Ino nodded. Shikamaru sighed, slowly getting used to her pregnancy symptoms; the throw-ups, mood swings… She had been cold towards him since yesterday, judging from the way she spoke and acted as if she hated him with all her heart. "Troublesome…" He patted her back gently, mimicking Sakura's actions he once saw when Ino was like this. "Go on. Let it all out.

"Let's go back." He suggested once she was done. "Enough for today. You have to get some rest." Ino nodded willingly. It was almost noon and it was getting hotter each second. She began to feel dizzy from the bright sunshine. "Can you walk?" Shikamaru held out his hand and helped her on her feet.

"Yeah."

As they proceeded back to the village, being in a hazy state she was, Ino didn't notice that she was leaning against Shikamaru's body for support all the time in their walking, and Shikamaru, being too worried about Ino's weak condition, didn't notice at all that he got his hand wrapped around the tiny waist securely.

Some people turned to stare at them, awed by their affectionate gestures towards each other but they didn't realize those watching eyes. For them, it was only natural.

But as natural as it was, after given some time, _something_ will eventually flow.

**x**

Shikamaru stayed the night at Ino's apartment again. He was so worried about her constant throwing up that it made him couldn't leave her alone. It was around two in the morning and he supposedly drifted to sleep after he tucked her in her bed four hours ago but he found it hard to fall asleep. His eyes kept on blinking in the dark. Maybe it was too cold. Maybe the couch was too hard.

Okay, scratch that couch and that cold atmosphere.

He couldn't fall asleep because he was thinking too much.

What to do? Shikamaru thought hard. In a just a short few months, their secret will be revealed. That time, he wasn't sure whether he could stay alive like he was right now. If Ino's father ever find out, he will be dead meat. Best friend's son or not, he will be treated like any other guy. Like Shikamaru didn't know how Yamanaka Inoichi reacted to those who wanted to date his precious daughter.

Even guys who asked for a date went home with shaken hands and trembled knees, what was more in store for a guy who unintentionally got his daughter pregnant?

Only one word. Death.

Shikamaru shuddered. He still wanted to live to see fifty.

He reached for his pocket, the one he usually kept a pack of cigarettes inside but halted abruptly upon remembering that the pack was no longer there. It was not that he had quitted smoking, but he made a mental note clearly that he wasn't going to bring any if he was to go to Ino's house. As much as he didn't want a kid at such young age, he couldn't stop himself from following instructions Sakura had laid out to him. He wanted fine environment for his child. Guess that fatherhood was already in his blood.

His eyes drooped lazily and consciously, he expressed a small grin. He was feeling grateful that finally his body gave in and his eyes wanted to shut. Sleepiness slowly washed over him and he was half way drifted into sleep when suddenly he was awakened by a sound emanated from Ino's room.

He quickly got up and turned to stare at her door. As he debated with his mind, whether to check up on her or not – he was worried that she somewhat fell on the floor – but he was too lazy to move (he began to feel comfortable on the couch now) when suddenly through the dark, illuminated just by the moonlight seeping into the room, he saw the doorknob was turning.

Shikamaru stared with his eyes wide. The door opened and there was Ino, coming out of the room just in her pajamas and tousled hair.

The blonde didn't seem to notice him; she was too busy making her way to the front door. And Shikamaru was sure that she didn't sleep-walk.

Ino was ready to reach for her slippers when suddenly a male voice called out her name.

"Ino."

She jumped and swiftly turned around. Shikamaru was standing a few feet behind her, his hair was down and he was clad in black T-shirt and his ninja pants.

"Shikamaru…" Ino put a hand on her chest. "You shocked the hell out of me."

"Where are you going?" Shikamaru knitted his eyebrows, eyeing her curiously with a look that simply indicated "and by all means dressing like that?"

Ino heaved a heavy breath. "I'm hungry."

Shikamaru thought he was dreaming. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm hungry. I'm going out to eat."

"Eat? Where?" He doubted that there was still a restaurant or food stall left open. It was already long past midnight.

"Ichiraku ramen."

Shikamaru stared at her like she had gone crazy. Then slowly he latched his hand onto her arm and guided her back inside the house. "Go to sleep, Ino."

"But I'm hungry!" She protested, yanking his arm off of her. She glared murderously at him. "I want to eat."

"I cook you something."

"I want only ramen!" Ino started to whine like a child. Shikamaru was afraid she was going to cry. What more could be frightening than women's ultimate weapon?

"It's two in the morning, Ino." He tried his best not to let her tears out. "I don't think Ichiraku still open. But even if they still, I doubt that there's still ramen left." Ino pursed her lips hard, staring at him with her wide blue eyes. He noticed sparkling crystals brimmed in her eyelashes. "Come on. Go to sleep. I'll treat you ramen _early _in the morning, I promise."

"No." Ino shook her head, keeping her ground. Shikamaru groaned out loud. She was just too stubborn. "I want to eat ramen right _now_. You're not stopping me."

Ino proceeded back to the front door and got out of the house, which left Shikamaru with no choice but to follow her trail.

"Ino," he walked in sync with her. "Can't you wait until the sun is up?"

"Can't."

"You're so troublesome…"

Ino turned abruptly, their bodies almost colliding with each other. "Then what are you doing here? Go back and sleep."

"I just can't leave you out here alone –"

"I'm not your child." Her voice was cold. "Or girlfriend, whatsoever. I'm not even your wife. So don't act like you own me. You don't have to watch over me all the time. I can take care of myself."

Her expression was bitter and grim. Ino walked ahead quickly as if she didn't want him to be near her any second longer.

Shikamaru frowned at her words. What she said was true and he admitted he was slightly hurt at the fact but that didn't stop him from keeping his eyes on her. Had been friends with her for so long, he was used looking after her. Almost all the time.

And this time, it was no exception.

"Shikamaru? What are you doing?!" Ino cried when feeling her body was hauled up into his arms. Shikamaru didn't give a single damn about her bashing. Even when she started kicking and screaming, he continued carrying her back to the house and into the safety of her bedroom. "Put me down! You cannot do this to me! I need to go outside! I want to eat ramen!"

"Oh, shut up." He dropped her carefully on the bed. "You're so loud."

"Don't mess with me, Nara Shikamaru!" Ino jerked up quickly. For crying out loud, man she was angry, Shikamaru noted. "I want to eat ramen right now and you're not stopping me! I don't care if it's two in the morning!"

Shikamaru pinned her down. "Ichiraku's closed! Why can't you listen to me just this time, Ino?"

Her blue eyes flashed with build-up fury. "Don't you dare ordering me around!"

"I'm not ordering you," Shikamaru thanked his patience. And the fact that the girl beneath him was Ino. If not, he could've slapped her. "But you're not being reasonable."

"I want to eat ramen! I'm hungry!" Ino started kicking. "Get off me, you jerk!"

With his strength, Shikamaru stopped her actions easily. But the situations just got worse. She began crying.

"Troublesome…" He muttered, looking down at her fragile form. Since the first tear fell from her eye, Ino had stopped moving around but crying her heart out. However, her sob was not the usual sob he always witnessed.

She cried not because of physical pain or of broken-hearted. She cried because she was…disappointed?

"Geez…" Shikamaru scratched the base of his neck. Ino seemed like she wasn't going to stop anytime. What a guy could do in a situation like this?

"I want to eat ramen…" She whimpered. Her voice was small and pitiful. Shikamaru felt his heart melted by the sound of her crying. She really got him this time. She knew he couldn't stand women's tears.

"Okay, okay…" Shikamaru gave in. He patted her shaken shoulder gently. "I go out and find some for you okay? So stop crying."

"Really…?" Ino sniffed. "But you said Ichiraku is closed…"

"I do whatever I can, okay?" His voice was gentle.

"It's not troublesome to you…?"

Shikamaru sighed. "It is. But it's alright. So, just stay home and wait for me, okay?"

Ino nodded, smiling a little. Thinking about Ichiraku's delicious ramen, her mouth watered.

"Okay." She brushed her tears away. "But come back _quickly_."

"Ah…"

Standing outside her closed bedroom, Shikamaru wondered where the hell a bowl of ramen could be found at two in the morning.

…**to be continued.**


	4. Busted!

**Chapter 4: Busted!**

Shikamaru sneaked into the house easily and made his way towards a specific destination he had in mind carefully through the dark. He didn't bother to light up the house because he knew every inch laid out the space. His heart drummed nervously, but it was not out of fear at the risk of falling down the stairs or knocking his head into the wall.

It was because of something else, something more…fearful.

Arriving at a certain bedroom, he hesitantly placed his hand on the door, thinking about his actions once again. He knew that he was in for some blow up and it was obviously a drag, but he just have to do what he had in mind right now. Ino was waiting for her ramen and he had promised her that he will bring her one, no matter what it took him.

Braving himself, Shikamaru stepped in.

The moonlight helped his searching. Almost instantly, he saw the person he was looking for.

He moved closer to his target.

"Hey," he whispered, shaking the person awake. "Wake up. I need you to cook me something."

**x**

Two hours later, Shikamaru was back with a steaming bowl of hot ramen in his hands. Nobody knew where the hell he went to get that troublesome ramen. All we could guess that his hunt must be harsh because judging from his face, his pouting and frowning and all, the search for a bowl of ramen at two in the morning was terribly unpleasant.

Scolded by people? Check. Shivered from cold? Check check.

Now he was ready to present the delicious hot noodles to a young woman who happened to be the mother of his child who was waiting for him in her bedroom, in her comfy bed…sleeping?!

Shikamaru fought the urge to blow the house up. He ignored the beginning tremors boiling hot in his veins. Instead, he shook her awake slowly. And gently.

"Ino?" He took a seat beside her peaceful sleeping form. The ramen was placed securely on the bedside table; the rich, mouth-watering odor filled the whole space. "Ino? Hey, wake up. Your ramen's here."

Ino groaned softly, slapping his hand away. "Go away," she mumbled sleepily then turned her back towards him, facing the wall.

Shikamaru heaved a sigh, rubbing his eyes. His lanky form was slouched, obviously indicated that he was so damn tired and sleepy. His insides began to stir, out of irritation towards the sleeping blonde.

All his hard work to find the troublesome ramen at two in the morning for her was paid with a simple "Go away" and a _slap_?!

Shikamaru didn't know the easiest way to ease his beginning fury.

He shook her awake again, harder this time. He hissed, gritting his teeth, controlling his temper. "Wake up! I've brought your ramen!" Ino grunted. "Hey, wake up!"

Ino moaned and turned to face him. Her brows knitted with annoyance, her full lips pursed with infuriation. She blinked sleepily. Shikamaru knew what was in store for him if he managed to bring out her wrath. But hey, at least she was awake now.

"What the hell, Shikamaru…" She rubbed her eyes, stretching and yawning. "Can't you see I'm sleeping…?"

"Ramen's here." Shikamaru motioned the steaming bowl.

"So, what…?"

"So, what?!" Shikamaru retorted. "Take it and eat it! You're craving for ramen, aren't you?"

"I'm _not_ hungry at all." Ino whimpered, obviously she was still in her sleepy state. "Go away. You're bugging me."

"What?!" Shikamaru couldn't believe his hearing. "So, what am I gonna do with this…troublesome ramen?!"

"Hmpph…" In a swift motion, Ino gave him the answer, meaning "Eat it, throw it, I don't care. Go away. Let me sleep peacefully" and she also kicked him off the bed.

Shikamaru blinked. His body was slightly hurt from the sudden falling. For a second, he just lay flat on the cold floor, confused with what happened. He really didn't understand her. Two hours ago, she was annoyingly crying and whining to please her craving stomach, unintentionally begging him to get her wanting and now she simply didn't want the object of her desire?!

With a deep grunt, Shikamaru stood up and take the bowl, brought it to the toilet and flushed all the content down.

Damn Ino and her craving for ramen.

* * *

Shikamaru was dreaming about him watching clouds in the middle of a big, grassy field peacefully, complete with breezy air and cozy atmosphere when suddenly some noise woke him up from his slumber.

Groaning out of irritation, he opened one eye and read the time shown by the clock on the wall. A little over seven in the morning.

His blood began to boil slowly; being awake from a peaceful dream he was and also didn't get enough sleep from last night. He tried to ignore the noise, which came directly from the front door, but the banging sound just won't get out of his ears. Fully annoyed, he jumped off the couch and dragged his feet to the door, grumpily, unlocking it and snapped.

"Who the hell?!" He almost shouted, holding the doorknob firmly, trying not to smash the door close and jump back to sleep. He blinked sleepily, ruffling his messy hair with his other free hand, taking in the sight of whoever was standing outside.

As soon as the mist cleared from his eyes, he froze.

So did the two familiar people in front of him.

"Shikamaru?" An older version of Ino spoke his name with a confused facial expression. "What are you doing…?" She took a step back and re-read the bronze-colored number on the door. "What are you doing at _Ino_'s house?"

Shikamaru didn't know what to say. If it was only Ino's mother who stood there, surely he could've produced an answer to cover his presence there, on the spot. But what made his words died on his lips was Ino's father, the frightening Yamanaka Inoichi was there, too.

And he was looking directly at him with a look ready to kill.

"I…um…" Shikamaru fumbled with words. He could feel Inoichi's killing aura caressing his skin. Cold sweat began to pour down his neck. His stomach did a few somersaults. Seriously, he was afraid.

Best friend's son or not, he will be treated like any other guys…

"If I'm not mistaken," Inoichi said coldly, gritting his teeth, eyeing him from head to toe, examining his condition. Shikamaru suddenly felt self-conscious. "Your house is two doors before, correct?"

Thank goodness he didn't go to sleep in just his boxers! "Ye-yes, sir…"

"Then, what are you doing here? Who gave you permission to –" Inoichi's blue eyes narrowed at his tousled hair. "– sleep here?"

"Actually, I…um…" Shikamaru's eyes roamed wildly, as if searching for the nearest escape from his current trouble. "Ino…she…um…"

"Something happened to Ino?" Ino's mother quickly retorted. "Our princess didn't sick or something, did she?"

Before Shikamaru had a chance to reply, he was already shoved aside by the blond woman. Ino's mother hurriedly went inside, obviously headed for Ino's bedroom. "Sweetie? Where are you? Are you still sleeping? Mom's here to visit…"

Meanwhile, Inoichi just stood at his spot, still keeping his gaze securely at the male inside the house.

"Tell me why you're here, Shikamaru."

"I…um…I…"

"Oh, my god! Sweetie! What happened to you?!" Came a loud, feminine scream from Ino's bedroom. "Are you alright?"

Panicked, Shikamaru quickly drifted his gaze towards the said place, secretly wishing that Ino did anything but throw up.

"What happened?" Inoichi rushed to the bedroom. "Did something – Princess!"

Shikamaru groaned out loud. This was it. This was the end. He couldn't live after all to see fifty. In a few more seconds, he will be dead.

Soullessly, he dragged his feet following suit and peeked into Ino's bedroom only to find Ino…was on the floor?

She fell down from bed?! That was the fuss all about?!

Shikamaru didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or to cry.

"Princess!" Inoichi quickly embraced his daughter. "Are you alright?" For a moment, he forgot all about Shikamaru.

"Dad?" Ino slowly woke up. She blinked her eyes to focus. "Mom? What are you guys doing here?"

"Sweetie? Did you fell down from bed?" Her mother asked worriedly, checking up for any possible bruises.

Ino eyed her surrounding and realized that she was half in her father's arms, half on the floor. "I don't know. Maybe?"

"You make us worried! You should be more careful!"

Ino tried to get up from her father's arms. She smiled sheepishly, scratching her head. "Heheh…sorry. You know how clumsy I was when I sleep, Mom."

"Did you get hurt?" Inoichi asked.

Ino shook her head. "Nope. Not at all." As she rose from the floor, she caught sight of Shikamaru, who was standing outside her bedroom with unreadable expression on his face. Ino stood straight abruptly, realizing their current state.

Shikamaru threw her a look and she knew that she had to get her parents out of the house as soon as possible before anything unwanted happen, for instance, her morning sickness.

"Mom! Dad!" Ino spun around to face her parents. She expressed a smile as sweet as she could, trying cover the beginning fear inside her heart. She couldn't let her parents know that she…that she was pregnant!

"Yes, sweetie?"

"What brings you guys here?"

"Oh." Ino's mother gave a playful slap on her shoulder. "Actually we came here to ask you something."

"What is it?" Ino still posed her fake smile.

"We want you to watch over the shop – since dad will be gone for a mission while I'm going to visit our relative at Otafuku village for a few days."

A sigh of relief escaped Ino's lips. She thought they were going to ask her to come back home. They had been trying to change her mind all this time, they actually didn't agree about her moving out of the Yamanaka residence. But Ino was too stubborn to listen. She had moved out since she turned sixteen, claiming she was old enough to direct her own life. She didn't want to be under her parents' wing until she was married. She didn't to be kept grounded. She wanted to live her teenage life freely.

"It's that all?"

"Yeah, is it, dear?" Ino's mother asked her husband. Inoichi nodded.

"But, sweetie… What is Shikamaru doing in here, in your house?"

Inoichi's body stiffened again, remembering his best friend's son was sleeping there last night, under the same roof with Ino. Though he trusted Shikamaru more than any Ino's guy friends, and he could be so sure that there was nothing happened between his daughter and Shikamaru but his over-protective nature sometimes got the best over him.

He looked at Shikamaru, who stood closely by the door. The young man had been panicked back then, and that added some curiosity in him.

"You two didn't do anything…_bad_, did you?" Inoichi eyed Shikamaru briefly then drifted his gaze to his own daughter.

"Hush, why did you say so, dear?" His wife brushed his arm lightly. "Of course they didn't do anything; I'm one hundred percent sure. Shikamaru's a good boy. Besides, they slept separately; Ino was in her room while he was outside."

"Yeah, dad…" Ino assured her father. "We didn't do anything. Shikamaru slept here because…I asked him to."

"Why?"

"Because –"

"She was afraid." Shikamaru cut in. "Ino…she…uh…she watched a horror movie before bed and got scared. So…she asked me to stay the night – to keep her company."

"Shikamaru's right." Ino smiled sweetly. She moved forward and held her father by the arm, leading him to the living room. "Nothing happened between us, really."

But Inoichi still had a hesitant look in his eyes.

"Oh, look at the time, dad!" Ino pointed at the clock. "What time your mission is? And mom, don't you have to start going? You guys are going to be late." She ushered the blonde couple to the door. "Bye! I'll see you guys later!"

"Bye, sweetie!"

As the door closed and locked securely behind her, Ino collapsed on the floor.

"That was so, so close! They almost find out!"

Shikamaru collapsed, too, on the couch. "I thought I was going to die back there! Troublesome…"

Ino eyed the guy, who now was yawning and stretching his muscles, getting ready for a few more hours to sleep. "Hey, are going to sleep here?"

"Obviously." Shikamaru put a pillow over his face, blocking the bright morning sunshine that seeped into the room. "Do you know what time I went to sleep last night?"

"No. What time?"

"Four."

"Why did you stay up so late?" Ino walked to the window and pulled the drapes close, letting the dark filled the room.

"Don't you remember?" He sounded annoyed.

"No."

"Never mind." Shikamaru sighed heavily.

Ino stared at him, slightly puzzled at his behavior. Did she do something troublesome to him? She really didn't remember. "Hey, Shikamaru?"

"Hmm…?"

"Why don't you go back to your house?"

"Troublesome…"

"You know what? I don't think you should sleep here anymore." Ino said quietly.

Shikamaru removed the pillow out of his face, so that he could look at her directly. Ino was sitting opposite him but she wasn't looking at his way. He noticed that her face was slightly perturbed.

"Why?"

"Because if we get busted next time, I don't think that my parents, my _dad_ will buy our excuses anymore."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to tell me to get out of your hair?"

"No, but…" Ino inhaled deeply. "You've been watching and worrying over me a little bit too much. I feel like I'm stealing your time."

"Told you I'll take care of you."

Ino examined his expression. His face was dark with unspoken rage. His voice sounded grim. He was beginning to get mad, she could tell.

She knew he didn't want her to think that he was going to let go of his responsibility towards their child that easily. Just because he knew that abortion was wrong, he willingly let her to keep the baby so that he didn't have to be abandoned with the feeling of killing a life, a baby, a child from his blood. But he didn't want the kid in the first place. That made Ino a little bit uneasy about having to trouble him with a responsibility he didn't want.

Their child was a burden to him, _she_ was a burden to him.

She didn't want to make him feel that way.

"It's okay, Shikamaru. You don't have to."

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Ramen for your thoughts_: Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, aki-child, LCH8292, naash, tomboy14, Eva-AngelElricY, ShikaFreak, Elsie-neechan, Flaming Beauty, Lady0Kagura, Oxygen Pirate, DesertCat, burnstar, XenaiiTwilightMoon, anime09, Wings-chan, Sexual-Itako, WolfyAlex, Dragon-Of-Ki, Anime Demon 123 and Sakura12.

_Thank you for reviewing the last chapter!_


	5. Comfort

**Chapter 5: Comfort**

"Told you not to come here anymore."

Shikamaru glanced up from looking at the starry sky to the face of Ino, arching his brows. The blonde just strolled into the house, tired look marred on her beautiful face. Ino just came back from watching over the shop, as her parents had told her to, which put Shikamaru a little bit at ease because she didn't have to go on missions because of that. Ino put the keys on the coffee table and walked into the kitchen, wondering what she should have for dinner.

When suddenly her feet came into a halt seeing something was already being laid out on the dining table.

"I've brought you ramen from Ichiraku." Shikamaru's voice echoed from the living room. "Saves you the trouble from cooking."

Ino looked at the medium-sized bowl, which was still steaming hot. It was obvious that Shikamaru just arrived at her house with the ramen with him.

"Why you bought me this?" Her heart shook with a nameless feeling. It seemed like their normal friendship that sank so deep after the pregnancy news resurfaced.

"Ah… I just couldn't forget the way you looked at me when you said that you wanted to eat it so much." The lazy shinobi sighed. "So I bought it for you."

Puzzled, Ino confronted him. "When did I ever say I wanted to eat ramen so much?"

Shikamaru chuckled. "Ah…guess that you really, really didn't remember a thing about it, did you?"

"What are you talking about?" Ino frowned at him.

"Never mind."

"Shikamaru!"

"Let's just say I couldn't rest easy until I see you eat the ramen to finish." Shikamaru got up and latched his arm onto hers, drawing her back to the kitchen. He motioned her to sit in front of the steaming bowl. "Eat it," he urged, breaking the chopstick for her.

Ino stared at him as if he had gone crazy. "Why should I eat it? I'm not hungry."

"Just eat it."

"Ramen is not that nutritious."

"Just. Eat. It."

The brown eyes looked so insistent that Ino couldn't help herself from obeying his demand. Even though she was usually the one who was more dominant between them two, but when Shikamaru started to act bold like this, having more control towards her, she had no choice but to follow his words and orders. Slowly, she took the chopsticks from him whilst Shikamaru took a seat beside her and popped an elbow on the surface, resting his chin in his open palm, scrutinizing her.

"Itadakimasu." She began to eat, while keeping her eyes still on his. Shikamaru's facial expression completely changed. He looked a little relaxed.

"Stop looking at me like that." Ino complained after a few moments. She felt awkward with him watching her every swallow, every movement. "What is your problem?"

"Oh, nothing." Shikamaru shrugged carelessly. "It's just…it's really comforting, you know."

"What is comforting? Watching me eat?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Shikamaru!" Ino began to feel annoyed. "You better tell me or else –"

"Or else what?"

"Or I kick you out of the house!"

"Try." Shikamaru smirked. "But I won't let you."

"What the hell is wrong with you tonight?!"

"Nothing." Shikamaru peeked into the bowl. "Now drink all that soup up. Finish it."

Ino gave a murderous glare.

"Hurry up."

"Fine!" Ino slammed the chopsticks down and hauled the bowl to her mouth. "I finish this then after that, get out of my hair!"

As soon as Ino wiped her mouth for any traces of soup, the images of her that night, crying and kicking, begging to eat ramen so badly cleared out of Shikamaru's head. He didn't know why those images kept haunting his mind. Maybe the sight of teary Ino bugged him so much, making him realized that he hated to see her cry, making him realized that he would do anything to brush the tears out of her eyes.

Making him realized that he secretly vowed to himself that he won't make her cry again. Ever again.

But damned his photographic memory! It made him remembered well about her tantrum that night. He couldn't rest easy until he saw her eat it to satisfaction!

"I've finished it." Ino shot him a glare, still puzzled with the question why he bought the ramen for her. "Now get out of my house."

Shikamaru got up and walked out of the kitchen, but he didn't go straight to the front door. He went to the couch he was lying on earlier instead.

"I'm staying the night." He said simply.

Ino sprang to her feet. "What? Why? Didn't I tell you not to sleep here anymore? What if we'll get busted –"

"Your parents are currently out of the town, so it'll be no problem." Shikamaru yawned, unzipping his vest and dropped it on the coffee table. The he occupied the couch as he always did whenever he was there, ignoring her fiery gaze. "Besides, I'm worried about you."

Ino fought the beginning turmoil boiling in her veins. How could he act so casually around her?! Since the news of her pregnancy got to his ears, he treated her so differently from before. It was like their friendship had upgraded to a higher level, yet, still remained the same. He watched over her a little bit too much, as if she was his, yet, she was nothing. She felt the restriction he put on her, so tense and secure, it made her almost gagged. She didn't want him to just "taking care" of her, just like he was doing right now. She wanted more of that from him, not just a nameless relationship.

She wanted a marriage, obviously. But how could he not think about that?!

Maybe he did thought about marriage, maybe it did occurred in his mind, but knowing his laid-back, lazy attitude, it was crystal-clear he wasn't ready for such commitment yet, so he said nothing.

And understood him too well, it saddened her that she had to burden him with such unwanted responsibility in such young age.

But guess that she could do nothing for now. Shikamaru could be so annoyingly stubborn sometimes.

Sighing in defeat, Ino approached him.

"Have you eaten?" She asked softly. She couldn't stay mad at him as much as she wanted to. His tired, worn out face reached something in her heart. Though Shikamaru didn't have any mission that day, but Ino knew that he was fully drained from teaching the kids at the academy, as the role had been appointed to him since he turned chuunin.

"Hn." Shikamaru answered without opening his eyes.

"Have you bathed?"

"Hmmph." Which Ino took as a "No".

"Go take a bath." She urged, walking to her bathroom to take a bath herself.

"After you." Shikamaru called out, half-way into nap. "Wake me up once you're done."

**x**

"Ino?"

The blonde looked up from her reading and saw Shikamaru was standing at her door in his pajama, the one he stacked in between her clothes – which she didn't know when he did that, as one after one of his belongings began to migrate to her house – getting ready to sleep.

"Yes?"

"Do you have some extra blankets?" Shikamaru rubbed his arm. "It's so cold out here."

Seeing him like that, Ino couldn't help herself from feeling sorry. "Yeah, I may have some in the closet."

Shikamaru opened each drawer without even asking her permission, so casually, so nonchalantly as if the closet was his. "Where?" He asked, flipping over some clothes.

Ino got up from bed. "I thought I have it somewhere in there…" She joined his searching. "But where…?"

After a few minutes of searching and found nothing, Shikamaru gave up, being such a number one person in giving up he was. "Troublesome… Tch. It's okay if you don't have any. Guess I'll just go to sleep with these." He pointed at his clothes and stood. "G'night."

His shadow vanished fully from her sight without Ino even had a chance to say anything. And that made she felt sorry even more. She tailed him.

"Shikamaru?"

"Hmm?" He glanced up lazily at her. "What? Don't ask me to go back to my own house because I'm not going to move even an inch from this couch." He paused before adding something. "It's too troublesome."

"You can sleep with me in bed." Which earned her a questioning gaze. "I don't want you to catch cold. Besides," Ino looked at the couch he was lying on. "Sleeping there is not that comfortable."

"Are you sure you want me in bed with you?"

Ino shrugged, blushing a little. His tone sounded…suggestive. "It's not like I never slept with you. We've done that so many times on missions."

Shikamaru was red, too. "Well, we're not on missions right now." He muttered quietly but followed her to bed. "And I don't think that _that_ time counts."

Her heart drummed nervously. "It was just an accident." She wasn't sure whether he heard her or not but it didn't matter. She realized that it was the first time they brought the subject up since it happened. Ino slipped under the cover, shaking a little from embarrassment and she was sure that Shikamaru felt the same way, too.

The queen-sized bed was more than enough with two people in it but Ino felt like she and Shikamaru was squeezed together so tightly in a box. Though she tried so hard to put a distance between them, their bodies still touched. She didn't know why, whether there was something wrong with their sleeping positions or maybe the bed was not big enough, or maybe Shikamaru was bigger than she ever remembered.

All her efforts to keep their distance successfully made her eyes went blinking without any signs of falling asleep anytime when Shikamaru already sank into slumber since she couldn't remember.

So her tossing and turning around must have woken him up because she swore that she was really, really surprised, shocked when suddenly his arm draped over her waist. He hugged her like she was a pillow.

Her heart beat rapidly. Shikamaru's breath was warm blowing on her neck. Ino gulped uneasily, feeling the embarrassment crawling up her cheeks again. She didn't know whether it was a spontaneous gesture or he did it on purpose.

"Shikamaru?" She called out softly, trying to move his hand away off of her body but failed the attempt. She was locked securely in his embrace and even more when she started struggling to break free. "Shikamaru? Hey, are you awake?"

"Hn…" He grunted between his breaths. Still sleeping, Ino thought with the feeling of awkwardness swept over her chest. The way they slept together like that, _cuddling_, leading her to think like they were a couple.

Ino began to question her decision to let him sleep in her bed.

But as much as she felt awkward, she couldn't lie to herself that she somewhat liked the comfort he gave her, even though it was out of his consciousness. Often had he held her in his arms like this but Ino could never experience the feeling she was feeling right now. Okay, she admitted that she loved waking up in his arms, just like every time she released her seal and came back to her own body and found he was holding her close. It was like waking up in heaven, she had thought to herself since long ago but she never told him that. She didn't want to give him any hints or impressions that she looked at him just like she looked at any other guy because somehow between the lines in their relationship, he had gotten used to the idea that he was her big brother and she her little sister, and they shared no other bonds except "brother-sister" bond.

But what kind of "brother" was he, if he slept with his own "sister"?

And he thought her "hot", too.

Ino almost squealed out loud when her body was being drawn closer to his, breaking all her thoughts away. Her cheeks crushed his chest, and in an instant, she could smell his manly smell, and by just the smell, her heartbeat increased even more rapidly than before.

Her body stiffened, being embraced by him out of her will. Ino never felt so nervous in her life like this before. How Shikamaru managed to cause her to feel that, she didn't know.

Ino tried to yank her body away from his again, to calm her raging heart.

"Stop it…" Shikamaru whispered in her ear with a grunt.

"Wha-what?"

"Stop moving around…" He sounded so sleepy. "I couldn't sleep… Troublesome…"

"The-then why don't you release me?" Her heart drummed nervously than before, knowing that he was awake. "Shikamaru?"

"Can't." Was his simple answer. "Don't want you to fall… Don't want you to get hurt… Don't want the baby – Hnhh…" Shikamaru didn't finish his words, falling asleep once again.

"…_You know how clumsy I was when I sleep, Mom."_

Ino smiled at the sudden thought. She realized it now why Shikamaru kept on insisting to sleep in her house. He knew she was a lousy sleeper, so he slept there, had her in his arms to protect her. And their baby. Knowing that Shikamaru won against her again this time, Ino decided to give in and accepted his comfort.

She buried her nose into his chest and closed her eyes, and slept.

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Shikamaru's embrace (for girls!) and Ino to hug (for guys!) for:_ aki-child, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, Lady0Kagura, alexsan, Oxygen Pirate, Cookbook24, XenaiiTwilightMoon, tomboy14, ShikaFreak, Sakura12, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, Elsie-neechan, DeathxXxbyxXxShuriken, Dragon-Of-Ki and Wings-chan.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	6. Together

_A/N: To clear things up, Ino was in her first trimester, almost two months. I'm not sure whether the craving starts in early pregnancy but what I'm sure is pregnant women tend to get angry and hungry so easily, even in the first month! A friend told me all these details because she witnessed how her big sis acted in the months of pregnancy. She ate a lot, even in the middle of the night! I hope I wrote Ino right! _

_Kudos for those who made this story reached 100 reviews! I'm so happy! This chapter is dedicated to __Flaming Beauty__ for being my 100th reviewer for __I'm Sorry, Shikamaru__. Yatta!!!_

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**Chapter 6: Together**

When Ino woke up the next day, she found herself was in an awkward position once again.

She was lying flat on her back, with her head turned slightly to her left. She felt no pressure from Shikamaru, so she assumed that he already woke up and left. But his body heat still there. She could still feel his breathing. Groggily, Ino forced her eyes to open, slightly rubbing an eye while her gaze slowly lingered to Shikamaru side.

And froze.

Shikamaru was still beside her, together in her bed but that was not the problem. His eyes fixed intently on hers, scrutinizing her wide-eyed, fully composed like there was nothing wrong for him to do that. His bigger form shadowed her, blocking the faint morning sunlight from reaching her eyes. But that was not the problem, too.

The problem was he had his hand on her stomach, her _exposed_ stomach, stroking her smooth skin so casually, so nonchalantly like he had every right in the world to do that!

Ino blushed out of embarrassment rather than building anger.

And upon sensing that she had already woken up, still Shikamaru neither didn't pull his hand away nor drift his gaze to somewhere else.

"Shi-shikamaru?"

He looked like he was lost in his own thoughts or rather in her bottomless blue eyes because he failed to give her any respond.

"Shika –" Ino asked again and her words died on her lips when suddenly he buried his nose at the crook of her neck, pulling her close.

Dub! Dub! Dub!

There was her heartbeat again, beating fast and furious.

"Shin…" Shikamaru whispered. His breath was warm on her neck. His eyes were closed. "If our child is a boy."

Ino was puzzled. In attempt to calm her nervousness, she failed to process his sentence. "Huh?"

"Shin. I want his name starts with Shin." His stroking on the part of her body where their growing child was rested didn't stop. "_Sh-_ as in my name, Shikamaru and -_in_ as in your name, Ino. _Shin_. That would be our child's name, if a boy."

Ino found it hard to calm the renewed storm emerged in her heart. Awkwardness swept over her skin. She didn't used to this side of Shikamaru. He sounded so sweet, so…romantic. What made him acted so out of character – all in a sudden? She didn't know. Maybe he was in _cuddly_ mood – which she wasn't sure whether he had one. "Wha-what if…a girl?"

Shikamaru chuckled and Ino could feel his smile on her skin. "Then…you name her."

After that, he pulled her even close and slept, because it was still too early in the morning.

**x**

"What took you so long?!"

Stunned, Shikamaru could only stare at the furious blonde in front of him. Though he just stepped out of the shower, still cold from the running water stuck to his skin, the morning breeze came into the house blew softly caressing his wet, half-naked body, but he could feel the heat of her wrath clearly. Ino looked so, so mad.

Without waking her up, he had slipped out of the bed quietly and returned to his own house. After taking some time to tidy up a little here and there – though he was so lazy to do that but his place needed some loving so badly – he went to take a shower. While showering, he heard someone was knocking on his front door. At first he tried to ignore the sound, but after a few moments, the knocking had turned into banging, so desperately, non-stop, as if wanting to break the door down. Pissed from being disturbed, he rinsed his body as fast as he could and slipped into his towel without drying his body thoroughly. He was ready to snap at whoever standing outside his door when suddenly his anger cooled down instantly upon locking his eyes with the burning cold blue.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you outside?!!" Ino looked like she was ready to bite his head off. "Do you know?!!"

"Uh, what's wrong, Ino?"

"What's wrong? You ask me WHAT'S WRONG?!!!"

Shikamaru gulped. He was not ready to face this, her dangerous mood swings, especially after spending a quite _intimate_ night together. The heat of Ino's body was still warm against his skin. He still felt her breathing on his chest. Last night had been an unforgettable event in his life. It was really the _first_ time he slept while holding a girl so closely to his heart. The experience was indescribable. It was beyond words.

It made him thought of doing that again, again and again. Well, don't go into wrong thinking, though. All Shikamaru wanted to do was just cuddling, not _that_.

He felt her nervousness while sleeping with him. He saw how uneasy she was. Ino tossed and turned non-stop, as if she was lying on a hotplate. And all that made him stay awake through the entire night. He was afraid that she would fall down from bed in the middle of her attempt just to keep their bodies at a distance. So he found a perfect solution. He hugged her.

Shikamaru knew Ino was shy, embarrassed, being embraced by him. And upon knowing that she felt that way, somehow, deep in his heart something stirred and woken. He was pleased to know that he managed to bring her out of her coolness, proving that Ino looked at him just like she looked at any other guy, not just a mere teammate, or childhood friend, or _brother_.

But seeing her now, it wasn't difficult to tell that Ino already get over all the emotions he created within her last night.

"Shikamaru!" There she was, screaming into his ear for the nth time, he didn't know. "Are you listening to me?! Shikamaru!!!"

Thank goodness he didn't have a shirt on. If not, Ino would've grabbed his collar and shook him to death. And lost in his thoughts, Shikamaru didn't realize that she had been talking to him since he opened the door.

_Troublesome…_ He decided not to voice his complain out. Ino could become madder hearing that famous line of his. "Ah…yes, yes… You were saying?"

"I said," Ino glared furiously at him, gritting her teeth, clenching her fists. "I'm going out for breakfast."

Spontaneously, his brows arched high. Why did she tell him this?

"I don't want to risk having you mad at me if you find out that I'm gone without telling you where I'm going." Ino answered his curiosity. "I have it clear last time." She recalled the incident where she came back from mission and he blew up, angry because she had gone without word.

"Oh." Something inside Shikamaru's heart fluttered.

"I'm going now."

"Wait." Shikamaru quickly grabbed her wrist. "I'm coming with you."

Ino narrowed her gaze. "What?"

"I'm coming to breakfast with you." Shikamaru led her into his house. "Wait for me."

Once Shikamaru vanished behind the door of his bedroom, Ino let out a desperate sigh. All the time she was dealing with him, however, she was not blinded by her rage. Every inch of Shikamaru's exposed chest, fully wet with glistening droplets of water sent her the tingling feeling of awkwardness once again. Just like last night. But of course she didn't let her guard down.

A few minutes later, Shikamaru appeared in front of her eyes once again, clad in his usual shinobi outfit.

"I'm done." He said briefly, putting on his sandal.

Ino rose from her seat. "Took you long enough."

Shikamaru almost rolled his eyes at the comment. "Let's go." He drew his hand out, as if reaching hers but pulled back instantly. He quickly tucked his hands in his pockets, walking with his usual, lazy fashion. "Where are we heading?"

With a smile, Ino said excitedly, "Yakiniku."

**x**

"Hey, Ino…" Shikamaru looked at the blonde with uncertainty. "I don't think that eating meat barbeque for breakfast is good for your body." His expression meant that "It's too oily. You'll get fat. You'll regret eating this."

"Don't you start lecturing me," Ino shot a warning look, putting the raw meat pieces onto the grill section. "I don't care."

"But Sakura said –" He wanted to tell her that it was not good for the baby, too, but Ino quickly killed his words.

"Forget what she said. I eat what I feel like it, and this morning I feel like I want to eat this. You're not stopping me."

"…You'll throw up."

"Done that."

Shikamaru huffed, clearly worrying about her eating habit. Ino seemed to eat a lot one of these days, more than her usual take. He wasn't sure whether she was still watching her weight because Sakura had warned her to stop dieting – for now – for the sake of their baby. She didn't seem to care about her figure anymore. Maybe Ino already accepted the fact that she was going to get fat anyway.

"You're not eating?"

Startled, Shikamaru focused his attention back to Ino, who had been nibbling every piece of cooked meat she put on the grill section. She looked happy at each of her swallow and suddenly he found himself relaxed. _Meh…to hell with whether having meat barbeque for breakfast was healthy or not_, he thought. _As long as she's happy…_

Shikamaru broke his chopsticks. "I'm not going to let you eat it _all_ alone," he smirked, popping one into his mouth.

Ino shrugged. "Whatever. It's your treat anyway."

"What? I never said that!"

"But you said that you're gonna take care of me, right?" Ino retorted with a victorious smile. Shikamaru sighed, defeated.

"Fine. Geez…troublesome…"

**x**

"Gochisosama!" Ino spoke cheerily. "Ah…I never thought that eating this much feels so good!"

"Chouji's gonna kill us if he heard we went to eat barbeque without telling him." Shikamaru smirked lazily.

"Then don't tell him." Ino looked down, patting her stomach while speaking gently. "Hey, Shin… Are you full? Or do you want to eat more?" Then she giggled, as if the baby inside responded to her words.

Shikamaru eyed the young mother intently, amused and touched at the same time. Even though that morning was not the first time they shared breakfast together, but that day could also be an unforgettable event in his life. It was really the first time he saw a pregnant woman as beautiful, as sweet as Ino. And what made the experience was indescribable was the child she was carrying inside of her was _his_. When he first heard the news, that Ino was pregnant with his child, he was truly freaked out. He couldn't lie to himself that he _kind of_ hated the baby at first, because it only meant trouble, _big_ trouble and also because the baby shouldn't be there in the first place.

But that was then. Now, he was more than glad to be trapped in this situation because he finally had a chance to be closer to Ino more than he ever dreamed of before. He got to spend the nights at her place, he got to sleep beside her, he got to touch her, he got to see her wake up face, he got to experience everything…

And that made him thought that expecting a child, of his and hers wasn't troublesome at all.

"Hey, Shikamaru?" Ino drew him back to reality.

"Hmm?"

"How did you think of _Shin_?"

The memory of spending time together with her in her bed flashed back in his mind. He remembered the dawn, where he had told her what name he desired for their baby. Shin; a derived word from Shikamaru and Ino. He himself didn't know where the hell that word popped out and got to his mind.

Shikamaru shrugged, failed to produce the answer.

Ino narrowed her eyes and he knew that her good mood had changed.

"I knew it!" She pointed to his nose. "You must've been too lazy to think of names, so you just used our names instead, you lazy jerk!" Ino went with her ranting on and on, forgetting about how loud she sounded. People around turned their attentions on them. Shikamaru sighed.

"Oi, Ino!" He hissed. "Stop it! You are so loud! People are looking at us!"

Ino ignored him. "But Shikamaru! How could you think of something lame like _Shin_?"

"Lame?"

"Yeah, lame! _Nara Shin_, how pathetic! I want his name to be longer!"

"You're so troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered silently, taking out his wallet. "Fine. Make his name longer, but I still want his name starts with _Shin_. I already give the head. You find the tail." He signaled the waiter and paid. They walked out of the shop together.

"So, what you're gonna do today? You don't have a mission, right? Are you going to the flower shop?"

Ino looked at the morning sky dreamily. "Hmm…yeah. But later."

"Later?" Shikamaru frowned.

"I have something to do."

Shikamaru noticed there was something very fishy about the look she sent him. "I don't think I wanna know."

"You don't have a mission, too, right? So are you going to the academy?"

_I want to watch the clouds…_ "Nah, later."

"Later? Don't you have students to teach?"

"I don't have permanent one. Usually I just fill in when some of the teachers are not available. Why?"

"How about the Chuunin Exam? You're not busy with them? You're going to be one of the examiners, right?"

"Nah, I'm done with my part – for the time being."

From walking, Ino turned bouncing. "That's great! It means that you have some free time right now! Ne? Ne??"

"What do you want me to do?" Shikamaru asked straight to the point. "If it's troublesome…"

"Oh, don't worry!" Ino held his arm. "It's not something troublesome. All you have to do is keeping me company!"

"And we're going…?" Surely her next answer was definitely troublesome.

"We're going…" Ino leered and every second passed shorten his life. "SHOPPING!"

Shikamaru stopped his walk. "I think Iruka-sensei needs my help at the academy…"

"Don't you dare lying to me!" Ino grabbed him before he managed to get away. "You are coming with me. You said you're gonna take care of me, right?"

"I'm not gonna pay for your troublesome clothes!"

"I'm not going to shop for clothes!" Ino hollered, pulling the unwilling guy to enter a nearby store. "I'm shopping for something else!"

It was really something else, something out of his imagination.

Ino spent _his_ money on a huge amount of food.

**x**

From afar, a chubby guy could be found munching his chips, observing a phenomenon he never thought could be seen with full-blasted curiosity.

What the hell?! What are Shikamaru and Ino doing _so intimately together_?!!

…**to be continued.**

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_Ara-chan's kiss (Readers: "Eh??? Who wants __that__?!!! We want Shikamaru's or Ino's!") for:_ naash, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, Cursed Dragon, Wings-chan, solitarywarrior, Lady0Kagura, Sakura12, tomboy14, Cookbook24, Six-tailed demon Angra Mainyu, x0x, DeathxXxbyxXxShuriken, burnstar, Elsie-neechan, XenaiiTwilightMoon, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, DesertCat, Teh K9, Koko Roco, Anime Demon 123, kunoichi-hinata14, bangorkritzhisa, alexsan, tangerine fever, aki-child and Flaming Beauty.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	7. Best Friend Knew Best

**Chapter 7: Best Friend Knew Best**

"Do you have a fever?"

Ino looked up from the magazine she read to the face of Sakura, who just entered the flower shop. "Huh?" She asked blankly.

"Do you have a fever?" Sakura repeated, inching closer to her. A look of concern reflected in her face. The pink-haired medic lifted her hand to get a feel of Ino's forehead. "Nope, the temperature's right," she answered her question her own. "But why your face is red?"

Ino quickly put a hand on her cheek, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Though a few days had passed since the cuddling scene with Shikamaru, still she felt the nervousness resided in her heart. She got all red just thinking about it. And Kami-sama, no matter how hard she pushed those images away, they still came back haunting her. Every now and then, especially when she had nothing to do. She found herself thinking about him. "Really? Did I look that…flustered?"

Maybe after spending a few days with him in her house, just the two of them out of the usual friendship atmosphere, their relationship had gotten _closer_ than she ever anticipated.

"Well, yeah." Sakura nodded. Ino turned red even more. "Something matters?"

"No!" It was a flash answer and Sakura knew instantly that something was absolutely not right about her best friend's behavior that morning. But if Ino didn't want to talk about it then she didn't have a choice than just to let her be. A noisy girl like Ino could only shut up for such a short time anyway. If she was ready to tell her whatever the matter was, what that made her blushed so prettily like that, she'll tell her.

"So how are you feeling? Still throwing up that much?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "You have no idea. I throw up so much I feel like my gut is going to rip out of my body."

"That's natural." Sakura smiled. "This is your first pregnancy anyway. So don't expect to go through it easily. Even women who already gave birth to two, three children still find it hard to deal with the symptoms."

"Come to think of it," replied Ino with a small chuckle. "It's sucks in its own way."

"What sucks? The throwing ups?"

Ino just shrugged while saying her next words so casually. "No. But having a guy watching over you a little bit too much is."

"Are we talking about Shikamaru here?"

"Duh…" Ino rolled her eyes. "Who else?"

"He watches over you a little bit too much?" Sakura was impressed. "Wow… I really don't think he's gonna keep his words."

"I've told you before; Shikamaru is not that irresponsible." Ino spoke in a little defensive tone. "I don't want to complain; I mean, I'm glad that he watch over me from time to time, but," the blonde sighed. "The restriction he put on me is just too strong. Sometimes I feel like I wanna gag."

"Care to explain?"

"He slept in my house for the last few days and he followed me everywhere!" Ino wailed, frustrated. The blush that eventually subsided due to the passing time colored her cheeks once more. The images of them sleeping together flashed in her memory again. Since the first time, they always slept like that, as if they were a couple. Shikamaru insisted to sleep in her house after that no matter what excuses she gave him. And he always hugged her in their sleep. He didn't want her to fall from bed, he said. Seriously, she didn't want him to be around. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach whenever he was close and strangely, her heart jumped and twisted when he looked into her eyes. And especially when she caught him after bath. Wet, half-nude Shikamaru surprisingly turned her on. She didn't know why she felt that way and she never felt that way in the same circumstances before! "And one morning, my parents came to visit me and we were busted!"

Sakura was surprised. "Oh, my goodness! They've found out?"

"No, no. Shikamaru came up with an excuse, and of course my parents believed him, though my dad seemed very unsure at first. Imagine what will happen if he knew." Ino made a face. "And Shikamaru also forced me to eat a bowl of stupid ramen, just because he told me that I craved to eat it so much – which I didn't remember when I said that. He said he couldn't rest easy until he saw me eat it to satisfaction."

The Godaime apprentice smiled warmly. "Well, isn't he sweet?"

"_Sweet_? Didn't you hear me right, Sakura?" Ino frowned. "These are the forms of restriction he put on me! There's no way I could stand all that! You know I don't like to be controlled!"

But Sakura still kept her smile. "Oh, come on, Ino. I know you like it when he had all his attentions on you. Ne? Ne??"

The blonde's expression slowly changed, as if something was altering her mood.

Did she really? Ino frowned, thinking about her feelings silently. She didn't know what to answer.

True, a part of her liked it, so very much, but there was also a part of her not. A very large part of her not. Somehow, sometimes, she didn't feel happy at all to receive all his undivided attentions. Pain was stabbing her chest every time she looked at his face, when bored such a helpless expression ever since he knew that he was going to be a father in just a few months. She felt bad for putting the unwanted burden on his shoulders. She felt guilty for taking the joy of being single and carefree man out of him. She pitied him.

She felt sorry for him.

And she blamed herself secretly in this matter. If only she wasn't drunk that day, if only she hadn't responded to everything he said, if only she didn't kiss him…

Then all this will never happen.

"I don't really like it…" It was a whisper.

"Huh?"

"I don't like it." Ino repeated, more firmly and loud this time. Her gaze was lowered to the smooth surface of the counter. "I don't like his attentions on me. It makes me feel like I'm such a burden to him. I mean, he didn't do anything _him_ since he knew about my pregnancy. He never lazed around, he barely watched the clouds, he rarely spent his time with Chouji and his other friends. All he did now is work, work, work, nothing else. And on top of that, he watches over me too much. I know that he did all that because of our baby, but I feel like I'm stealing his time." Ino recalled Shikamaru's worn out face every time he came back from work. "He looked very exhausted every time I saw him, though he didn't say or complain anything, but I know he was tired with all…this. I feel bad, so bad."

Ino clearly missed the twinkle in Shikamaru's eyes whenever seeing her. She hadn't realized at all how much he looked at her with admiration, adoration, fondness…

Perhaps love.

Sakura analyzed Ino's pained expression thoroughly and mentally kicked herself. Why did she ever say that? The blonde looked so down. The pink cheeks now were replaced with pale hue. And Ino had her eyes closed while frowning.

"Are you alright?" Her medical instincts told her that Ino wasn't feeling well. Sakura glanced at the clock then looked outside. The day was almost noon. The temperature was high, judging from the height of the sun. She could feel the heat slapped her skin faintly.

Ino gave a weak smile. "Yeah. I'm fine." She nodded reassuringly. "I just feel dizzy a little."

"Do you want to rest?"

"Mmm." Ino softly declined, shaking her head. "No. I'm alright, really. Besides, I'm supposed to watch the shop. Mom will be back anytime soon from her errand. I'll rest after she comes back."

"I'll check up on you when we get to your house." Sakura was still worried.

"Okay."

"Thankfully you're not on mission. Has Shikamaru talk to Tsunade-shishou about you?"

Ino shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't received any missions in these past few days and so did he. He's busy with the academy right now because the Chuunin Exam is around the corner."

"You know, maybe we should tell Tsunade-shishou about your condition."

"What? Then the whole village will know I'm pregnant!"

"We can ask her to keep a secret. She's a woman, she'll understand." Sakura stated her good point. "You don't know what your next mission is. And when. If she knew, probably she'll give you the less hard ones. Or maybe she even gives you maternity leave. Who knows?"

"But, Sakura…"

"Ino," Sakura put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "You, Shikamaru and I couldn't keep this secret forever. We cannot hide it for long, especially from her. Tsunade-shishou _has_ to know – whether you like it or not."

Ino sighed heavily. "She'll have Shikamaru's head."

"No, she wouldn't." Sakura smiled. "This pregnancy is not anybody's fault. As you said before, it's technically an accident. You and Shikamaru were both drunk that night, right? So, you guys didn't intend to have sex in the first place. It was done not on purpose. I don't think she'll punish anybody, even if you two still underage. Besides, instead of having Shikamaru's head, I think shishou have better resolve."

Ino arched her eyebrows. "And that is?"

"Why, she'll ask Shikamaru to marry you _immediately_ of course. That's what you want, right?"

Ino's gaze was lowered to the counter once again.

"My dad's gonna kill me."

"No, he wouldn't." Sakura replied. However, she sounded unsure. "You're his little princess, right? He loves you so much. Maybe he'll get mad at first, but he'll get over it. And he trusts Shikamaru more than any of your guy friends. You dad's gonna accept him, don't worry."

Ino bit her bottom lip, her gaze narrowed.

"Shikamaru won't be happy."

"He better." Sakura rolled her eyes. "He's an idiot if he thinks that it's troublesome marrying you. He should consider himself lucky instead." Seeing Ino still muted with silence, Sakura continued, "Did Shikamaru already has a plan for the future?"

Ino shrugged hastily. "I don't know. He never said anything to me."

"He still hasn't brought up the subject of marriage?"

"No."

"Geez… What is this guy think anyway?"

Before Ino could muster anything, the bell on the door rang, signing that a person was entering the shop. The two kunoichis turned their heads to the door and witnessed a chuunin officer had just walked in.

"Uh, Yamanaka Ino?"

Ino raised her brows before glancing briefly at Sakura. The pink-haired medic expressed a quizzical look, feeling strange at the sudden occurrence. "Yes?" Ino answered a bit slowly.

"I got a message for you, from Hokage-sama." Noticing the other girl, the chuunin officer quickly added. "And also to you, Haruno Sakura. Hokage-sama requested for you both right now in her office."

Again, Ino and Sakura exchanged a look.

"For what?"

"There's a mission for Yamanaka Ino and Hokage-sama wants to discuss some medical matter with you, Haruno Sakura. You'll be needed in the hospital later. You are to leave immediately."

**x**

"We received a request from Suna just now," Tsunade began, placing her elbows on the smooth surface of her oak desk, interlacing her fingers and rested her chin atop. "It's a mission that requires the Yamanaka clan special techniques. Since your father, Yamanaka Inoichi hasn't yet returned from his mission, and you are the only Yamanaka available at the moment, I called you here to carry this mission on his behalf."

"What kind of mission?" Ino asked a bit hesitantly. She could only pray to be granted with easier ones. Her pregnancy could possibly get in the way, not to mention that carrying dangerous mission could harm her baby.

"Spying." Tsunade looked at her straight in the eye. "The mission's called 'Finding the Mole'."

Ino raised her brows. "Finding the _Mole_?"

The Godaime Hokage nodded briefly. "Shizune will explain the rest of the details."

**x**

"Well, I'm off now to the hospital."

"And I'm off for my mission."

Sakura cast a worried look. "Will you be alright?"

"Yeah." Ino nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry. I promise I will be very, very careful."

"Ino, I still don't think that you should take this mission." Sakura held the blonde's arm, stopping their tracks. "Maybe we should tell shishou about your condition right now. Come on. Let's tell her, oka-"

"Sakura, no!" Ino stiffened. "I'm still not sure. Can I think about it first?"

"But, Ino-"

"Sakura," for the last, Ino sighed desperately. "Don't worry. I'm fine – I _will_ be fine." Sakura opened her mouth to retort but Ino quickly silenced her once again. "No, don't say anything!" Ino threw a warning look, slightly smiling. "You're delaying me. I'll be late for my mission."

"It's not safe for you to carry this mission alone…"

Ino sighed again. "I'll team up with Suna shinobi once I get there. And I'm not going to Suna alone. I have an escort." She held up her hand offensively. "Okay, that's it. No more objections from you. We're done talking." Suddenly, Ino stood up straight as if remembering something. "Uh, I better go tell him before I leave."

"Shikamaru?"

"Yeah." Ino smirked. "The last time I went without telling him, he went ballistic. He freaked out. He was _so_ mad, like he was going to bite my head off. He was so, so worried about me."

Sakura smiled mockingly. "Told you he's sweet."

"In a very annoying way." Ino made a face.

"Do you know where to find him?"

"If he's not at the academy, then he'll probably watch the clouds. I know a few of his favorite spot. So it's not so hard to find him."

"Whatever." Sakura sounded defeated and clearly worried. "Just don't be late for your mission, okay? You are to leave now, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. This wouldn't take long. I just want to inform him that I'm leaving for a few days – so he didn't freak out."

"Be careful, okay."

"I will. Bye!"

**x**

Amongst the rooftops of tall buildings in Konoha, in a place that directly faced the carved heads of the previous Hokages, two best friends could be found lazing their day there.

Shikamaru was watching the clouds – something he rarely did anymore since he worked up so much to take care of Ino – with Chouji at their favorite spot, enjoying himself in peace and serene the cloudy blue sky provided him when suddenly his very best friend uttered something that simply shocked the hell out of him.

"Hey, Shikamaru?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Curious at Chouji's strange tone, Shikamaru lifted his face up a little to take a look at his best friend's face. The chubby guy seemed troubled.

"What is it, Chouji?"

There was a long silence before Chouji dropped his bomb.

"_What's up with __you__Ino __and __ramen, __Shikamaru?"_

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Kudos for your thoughts_: Archerelf, Cookbook24, NazaliaSan, Flaming Beauty, Norwegian Dragon, Six-tailed demon Angra Mainyu, tomboy14, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, Sweet n Sour-shikaino-, BloodyMaerry, burnstar, Shika2211, DeathxXxbyxXxShuriken, kunoichi-hinata14, aki-child, anime09, Wings-chan, Naruto-Couples, sakura-blossoms-9511, VA, Lady Kenley, ShikaFreak., latafmodginkianp1618, SORAxANDxKAIRIx4everX0508, Nara Ino, XenaiiTwilightMoon, TroublesomeShikamaru, Sakura12, Elsie-neechan, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, DesertCat and solitarywarrior.

_Thank you for reviewing the last chapter!_


	8. He Knew, She Knew

**Chapter 8: He Knew, She Knew**

Shikamaru felt like the time had stopped moving. Never did he think that Chouji would smell something about the thing that was going on between him and Ino. Actually, he _did_ think but he never thought that it was this _fast_. He thought that whatever impression they gave the public, the scrutinizing concluded that they were just friends, close friends. He should have known that finally Chouji would realize the fakeness, considering he knew them more than well enough to be close as it was.

"What are you talking about, Chouji? What's up with me, Ino and ramen?" He forced casual questions.

Chouji took a bite of his chips. "My mom mentioned something strange to me last night, about something your mom told her."

"And that is?" Shikamaru tried his best to hide the sudden rapid heartbeat. He knew it! He knew his mom would make an outburst about that night's incident! And to whom else she spat it all out if not her best friends! And Chouji's mom was one of them!

"My mom said a few nights ago, you sneaked into your house at two in the morning and asked your mom to cook you ramen." Chouji shot him a look. "Are you out of your mind or what? I mean, knowing _how__ your mom __is_, I don't think you'd dared to do such thing."

"…I was hungry." Shikamaru shrugged, as if he didn't care.

"But _hello_? This is _your__ mom_ we're talking about. Why did you ask _her_ to cook ramen for you? Even if you're hungry, you could've cook cup ramen instead – saving you the trouble from getting lectured."

"Yeah, but…" Shikamaru sighed. "At that time, I just…want to eat her cooking."

"But why two in the morning? And why can't you wait until morning? Knowing you, I bet you already fast asleep that time and it must be troublesome for you to walk all the way home."

"…Told you I was hungry."

Didn't feel satisfied at Shikamaru's answer, Chouji wanted to ask more but the lazy chuunin evaded his gaze. And that just fired up his curiosity to the highest level.

"Okay, forget about the ramen." Chouji put his bag of chips aside, getting serious. "Now care to tell me what's up with you and Ino?"

"What's up with me and Ino?"

Chouji narrowed his gaze. "You two look so awfully close to each other one of these days."

Shikamaru chuckled. "So, what's up with it?"

"It's weird."

"It's not. Ino and I are close ever since we were little. Actually, the three of us are. So, what's the big deal?"

"The deal is you two are getting _closer_ without me."

There was no sentiment of jealousy in Chouji's words but it stung so much. Shikamaru felt his heart ached. He realized that his best friend was being left out in this big matter. And what made it worse, he was the one who made things that way. Chouji was his best friend. He should know, should be part of the secret, just like Ino's best friend had been.

But Sakura knew because he and Ino needed her help. Besides, she was the one who checked up on Ino and told her the result that she was pregnant.

Before he got a solid plan for the future, Chouji shouldn't know. Shikamaru decided on that.

"It's just your imagination, Chouji. You know Ino and I are just like siblings."

The words slipped out of his mouth so casually before he couldn't even stop himself. Shikamaru froze at his own words. _Siblings?_ Was their relationship truly like that?

Was that all he ever felt towards Ino? That she was only a sibling, a sister?

If so, why did he felt such a strong wanting towards her, whenever she was close?

Scratch that.

He felt the strong wanting even she was miles away, especially after spending a few intimate moments together.

Why did he felt that way? Shikamaru couldn't determine the answer.

"But now you guys are much _closer_!" Chouji insisted. "I saw you and Ino hanging around together a lot. I mean, yeah, you two are close but you'd never hang around as much as you did recently. It looks like you both are practically attached at the hips. Like Siamese twins – couldn't be separated."

"Troublesome… What exactly are you trying to tell me, Chouji?"

The chubby guy scrutinized his best friend. "Is something happening between you two?"

"Eh?? Why'd you ask that?"

"Because there's something fishy."

"Troublesome… What could _possibly_ happen between me and Ino?"

"I don't know. Maybe you two had become a couple or something?" It was a straightforward answer.

"Couple?" Shikamaru chuckled, hiding the nervous feeling. "Do we really look like that?"

"What more can I conclude when seeing you walk around town with her hand on your arm?"

The pony-tailed chuunin stiffened, like Chouji had hit some sore spot. Shikamaru then jerked up slowly from his flat position and went eye to eye with his best friend.

"What makes you say that?" He asked quietly.

"I saw you and Ino together a few days ago." Chouji answered with similar tone. "But I never have the chance to ask you because you were never around anymore. You rarely watched the clouds and aside of that, you were often busy with the academy. It's my luck seeing you here."

"You're always with her, right?" Chouji continued. "Why, Shikamaru? You're not like this before. You always thought that being around her is troublesome. But what makes it different this time? Are you and Ino had become something else?"

Only silence answered his questions.

Chouji sighed. "What's up, Shikamaru? What is happening?"

"Chouji…" Shikamaru closed his eyes and exhaled a desperate breath. _Please don't ask…_

"I'm your best friend. You should tell me, if there's anything I should know." Chouji put a comforting hand on Shikamaru's shoulder.

"…I'm sorry, Chouji. I want to tell you but honestly I _can't_. Ino and I…what we have between us is difficult to tell. It's complicated."

"Just tell me she's your girlfriend now. What is more complicated than that?" Chouji grinned, making his eyes disappeared beneath his fat.

"She's not my girlfriend…"

"You guys were acting so intimately together that day…"

"She's not my girlfriend." Shikamaru's voice turned low. What should he tell Chouji what Ino was to him? Surely he couldn't simply answer that she was the mother of his child just like that!

But the secret felt heavy on his tongue. He needed to get the words out; he wanted to tell Chouji the truth. After all, best friends should share all their secrets, right?

And maybe Chouji could help him to find a perfect solution to this problem.

"I don't believe you." Chouji observed the lazy, obviously troubled expression. "If you and Ino are just friends, surely you won't acted like that around her – no, surely she didn't acted like _that_ around you. I know there's something going on between you two."

"Chouji…"

"I promise I won't tell anybody – whatever you and she is." Chouji added quickly, grabbing his bag of chips and continued eating. "You can count your _secret_ on me, you know that right?"

Shikamaru sighed. The offer was very intimidating. He knew he couldn't hold his secret from his best friend forever. He was tired from _suffering_ alone, being the only male who shared the secret he was. Maybe if he told Chouji the burden will feel a bit lighter, no, a lot lighter.

At last, he shot a pointed look at Chouji.

"Swear you won't tell any soul."

Chouji gulped. His eating stopped. Shikamaru looked so serious.

"Uh, okay."

The Nara prodigy turned to his earlier position. While settling his body comfortably on the wooden plank back, searching for comfort, he had his eyes fixed at the blue sky all the time, breathing in and out nervously. Shikamaru seemed to prepare himself for the revelation because he shifted again and again in his position, couldn't seem to find the perfect angle.

"Now that's weird." Chouji suddenly commented.

"Huh?"

"Usually when you have something troubling your mind, you will smoke."

Shikamaru held his breath, didn't realize that in attempt not to smoke inside Ino's house made him unintentionally quit the bad habit. Slowly he brushed the side of his pants where the cigarettes always lay, feeling the flatness there.

"She made you quit?"

Shikamaru let his gaze lingered on Chouji's face. "No." He spoke with a heavy sigh. "It's because of something else." _Someone else…_

Chouji arched his brows, impatiently waiting for Shikamaru to spill his secret out.

"Ino and I…" The lazy chuunin hesitantly began, "…Our relationship is not like what you thought, Chouji. We…uh…sure, we share a _bond_, but it's not the…couple thing. It's…deeper than that."

Shikamaru closed his eyes, resigning to his fate. He didn't know how Chouji would react once he uttered his next words. Surely he'll be shocked. Maybe he even lost his respect on him.

"I…" Shikamaru's voice was shaking. Each of his word accompanied with a sigh. "I…I fathered her child, Chouji."

The chip in Chouji's hand fell down. His mouth gaped open. His small eyes were wide.

"S-say that again?"

Shikamaru took a deep breath.

"I made Ino pregnant."

**x**

"Hey, you!"

Ino stopped short in her walk and whipped her head around. A familiar face came into her view and the person was walking closer towards her. Ino knitted her brows, trying to remember who the person was. She had seen that face somewhere, a couple of times.

The sea-green eyes looked at her in the eye. A pointed finger was aimed at her. "Yamanaka Ino, right?"

Surprised, Ino nodded hesitantly. Her mind busily wondered who she was and why she was being approached.

"I just met the Hokage. She says that you accepted the requested mission." The black yukataed kunoichi didn't waste her time telling her that, while adjusting the large fan resting on her back. "So, are you ready to go?"

Ino's eyes widened. "Ah. So, you are my escort?"

"Escort?" A momentarily questioning gaze. "Well, I guess you could say that. I'm done with my business here – for now – and ready to head home when suddenly the Hokage called me." The green eyes looked past her shoulders to the bag pack resting on her back. "She told me to bring you to Suna, considering this is your first time going there. I see you already got your things, so let's go. It'll be a very long journey." The matured blonde walked past Ino, leading the way.

Ino followed her tracks. "Thanks." She muttered her gratitude which replied with a shrug. She really was thankful. Never been to Suna before, plus going on a solo mission really worried her. She didn't know how to cope with the long journey alone. She seriously needed a guide, who was used to the foreign road. "Hey, do I know you? You look so familiar. I think I've seen you somewhere before…"

"I'm a Suna ambassador for the Chuunin exam. I've visited Konoha a lot." The two blondes walked together side by side now. "I'm not sure if you know me, though." She held out a hand. "I'm Temari."

Ino took the offering hand. "Temari?" The name echoed in her head. Something rang at the back of her mind. "Oh, Temari!" Ino almost jumped, remembering who that person actually was. "No wonder you look so familiar! You are the one who battled Shikamaru in our first Chuunin Exam!"

"The crybaby?" Temari smiled coolly. "Yeah. I battled him in the final round. He was my enemy once but now he's my guide every time I came here. Ironic, isn't it?" Noticing the tone Ino used while speaking Shikamaru's name, so friendly, so casually, the green-eyed blonde shot a curious look. "You're his friend?"

"More than that." Ino answered easily. Temari arched her brows. "No, not _that_." Ino laughed, seeing the puzzled look. "Actually, he's my genin teammate and we've known each other since we were little. We hang out together a lot. He's one of my best friends after all and –" Her voice trailed away as her eyes grew bigger when a sudden thought struck her mind.

Ino quickly looked forward. Without her realizing, she and Temari were walking half-way to the main gates of Konoha.

"What's wrong?"

Ino's mind raced fast. She hadn't told Shikamaru that she was leaving for mission!

Earlier before, she had looked for him at the academy but he wasn't there. Before going out searching for him again, she decided to go back to her apartment and packed her things first. That would make her task easier because she could just take off to her mission after seeing him without making a long trip back to her house. After that, in her attempt to find him at his cloud-watching places, she bumped into Temari, lost in the conversation and forgotten all about him.

"Uh," Ino shot an apologetic look to the Suna kunoichi. "I…"

"Forgot something?"

Forcing an awkward plus apologetic smile, Ino nodded. "Can you wait for a moment? I promise I won't take long."

"I give you five minutes!" Temari yelled as Ino dashed to the direction where they were from earlier without waiting her say. "I'll wait for you at the gates!"

Five minutes turned out to be ten, then fifteen, twenty and when it almost reached thirty, Temari nearly lost her patient.

Ino still hadn't come.

_Just where the hell is she?!_ Temari looked around furiously. They really needed to get going now. The journey to Suna was not that short. If they could, Temari wanted to be half-way home before the dark approached.

_Five minutes more_, Temari decided. If Ino didn't come before the time was up, then she'll leave without her.

When the given time came and while preparing herself for the leaving, Temari took one last look at the village. Whether it was by chance or luck, she saw Ino suddenly appeared amongst the crowd and was heading towards her direction. Much to her surprise, the blonde looked completely different from thirty minutes ago.

Temari swore Ino looked like _hell_.

Ino's steps fell beside her. Her face was very pale and sweat poured down her neck, her breaths were in short gasps and she was panting heavily, as if something really, really bad just happened to her. She looked so weak, so out of spirit, as if her soul had been ripped out of her body. Temari also noticed that her eyes were slightly red, as if she wanted to cry but no tears leaking out of her eyes.

"Hey, are you alright?" Temari asked with deep concern.

Ino just nodded briefly, recovering herself to normal. "Sorry I'm late. Let's go." She spoke hastily and led the Suna kunoichi towards their path without looking back.

_Where the hell her cheery self go?_ Temari wondered idly while watching the blonde's back. Ino was a few steps ahead of her and she couldn't see the expression painted on her face but she had a feeling that Ino was clearly upset about something.

They leapt from tree to tree in fast paces, trying to keep their steps with the sun, only silence surrounded them.

No words spoken, no glances exchanged.

However, not long after their journey began, suddenly Ino halted on a tree and hopped down, collapsed on her knee to the forest floor, doing something that surely could raise a person's curiosity, especially women to the highest level.

Temari stared at the scene in front of her wide-eyed.

Ino was vomiting and it was not a usual vomit, damn sure.

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_A/N: About Chouji's reaction regarding to Shikamaru's revelation, also why Ino was like that will be explained in the next chapter. Stay tuned! _

_Somebody asked for cakes, so here it goes!_

_Tiramisu (I love tiramisu! Yumyumm!!!) for:_ kunoichihinata14, aki-child, Lady Kenley, StarryRavenFire, burnstar, imgonnadie, Flaming Beauty, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, DesertCat, Shika2211, Wings-chan, TroublesomeShikamaru, anime09, XenaiiTwilightMoon, solitarywarrior, tomboy14, Sakura12, Sweet n Sour-shikaino-, Six-tailed demon Angra Mainyu, Elsie-neechan, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, NazaliaSan, DeathxXbyxXxShuriken, BloodyMaerry, Anime Demon 123 and Ebil Chameleon.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	9. Misfit

_A/N: For __Sakura12__, "Morning sickness is more common in the morning but it can last all day for some women". _

_This chapter is dedicated to __L.K__ for being my 200th reviewer for __I'm Sorry, Shikamaru__. Whoopee!!!_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Misfit**

"I made Ino pregnant."

The words came out so easily, so casually out of Shikamaru's mouth. There was no hint of humor or something laughable in that one sentence. Seriousness surrounded all over. Chouji frowned, couldn't believe his ears. He stared at his best friend long, dumbfounded.

Was that _really_ Nara Shikamaru in front of him, who uttered such meaningful words?

No matter how furious he blinked his eyes, still the person in front of him was the same lazy genius he had known ever since he was little.

"He-hey…" Chouji chuckled lamely, still processing the words. "Are you _kidding_ me? You know you cannot play with things like this, Shikamaru –"

"I'm not kidding."

One look from Shikamaru answered it all, the look Chouji knew so well, the one Shikamaru always used whenever he took things seriously. The air between them suddenly turned tense, as if the dark aura emanated from Shikamaru had swept all the calm, breezy wind away.

"I'm not kidding." Shikamaru repeated, head dipping low. "It's true. I made her pregnant."

Chouji put his bag of chips aside once again, his body facing his best friend. "How…?"

"I don't remember how it happened to be exact," the Nara genius spoke with full regret and guilt covering his face. "It just happened, Chouji."

"But you guys aren't lovers to begin with…" Chouji looked somewhat lost. "You and Ino couldn't possibly…have sex so easily like that…"

"We didn't realize it happened. We were both drunk at that time." Chouji shot a curious look. "You weren't there, I mean, you weren't together with us on the night of the Sakura festival."

"Yeah, that's right." The chubby Akimichi nodded. "I had a cold at that time…"

"Well, Ino and I were hanging out together along with Sakura and the others. I guess we drank too much. We were both sober. We went home together, as we usually did and when we arrived at her apartment…" Shikamaru closed his eyes as his photographic memory replayed the scene back to his mind.

That simple line broke it all.

"_You're hot."_

Shikamaru knew he was the cause of it. If only he didn't mutter those words, then all this will never happened. Ino wouldn't responded to him, Ino wouldn't kissed him and that one night wouldn't ended with the two of them ogling each other so inhumanly and later being in each other's arms so barbarically in her bed…

"We didn't intend to do it in the first place…" Shikamaru sighed heavily. "But happened. And what make things worse here is…"

"Ino's pregnant." Chouji concluded. Shikamaru nodded weakly.

Chouji sighed, stealing his food back and began eating, all the time staring at the wide sky above. _Man_, he thought. _That's a big problem…_ He looked at Shikamaru, who had his gaze fixed intently at the same sky, seeming to be thinking hard.

Looking at his best friend's tensed expression made Chouji wanted to untie all the knots forming across Shikamaru's forehead.

"I swear if you didn't tell me this, then I will never knew that Ino's pregnant, Shikamaru." The said guy lifted his gaze to the spoken one, surprised at the sudden light tone. "I mean, she's carrying a baby inside of her but she's not showing yet. Her stomach's still looking so…flat."

Shikamaru chuckled lowly at the comment. "She's only a little over two months, Chouji. And since Ino hardly has meat, her figure doesn't change much even though she ate a hell lot."

"_Ino _ate a hell lot?" Chouji laughed. "Man, I want to see that…" A picture of Ino eating like a pig tickled his stomach and he couldn't control the funny feeling anymore. Chouji burst out laughing uncontrollably.

Shikamaru joined his laughter. Somehow his heart felt a lot lighter. Having Chouji to share the secret together with him made the burden on his shoulders was lifted and thrown away. "Come to think of it, it really is funny to see her gobble every single thing laid on the table. She even ate my food! Worse, she spent a huge amount of _my_ money on food while shopping that day! Troublesome…"

"She lives up to her name, I see."

Shikamaru and Chouji exchanged a look, remembering the meaning behind Ino's name.

Some snickering and then the two males laughed again, so hard, until their insides started to hurt from laughing out loud too much. Sinking deep into their joyful moments, Shikamaru and Chouji failed to realize that a jolt of familiar chakra was approaching them, charged in full speed. They didn't hear those light footsteps tapping on the stairs hurriedly.

When their laughing died down some moments later, a question from Chouji made the owner of that familiar chakra halted in its steps, the moment the person was about to make an entrance.

"So, what are you going to do, Shikamaru?"

Whoever the person was, surely he or she didn't want to be discovered for the time being. At least, not yet. Though Chouji's voice wasn't loud, but it was barely enough to hear. Every single word.

"What to do, eh?" Shikamaru stared up at the sky and shrugged carelessly. "I don't know. I haven't found the perfect solution yet."

"Have you ever thought about marriage?"

"Eh??" Shikamaru quickly averted his gaze towards Chouji's direction.

"Why don't you marry her?" The revelation seemed to seep into Chouji's head because he wasn't that tense looking anymore. And he already started his second bag of chips. "Things already happened this way. In just a few more months, you will be a father. So why not marry Ino?"

"Ma-marry…_Ino_?"

Chouji nodded. "In cases like this, marriage is a common thing, even though there's no love exists between the parents. How to put this, hmm? Well, let's just say the marriage is based on responsibility, so that when the baby is born, there will be fewer problems, the situation will be less complicated. Besides, it's the best solution ever, Shikamaru. You have to think of Ino's honor. Just imagine what the villagers will react once they find out. They'll look at her differently. Having a baby without a husband by her side will make people thought of her as _that_ kind of girl, even though she never was one. And just imagine how your child's life will be. A child who is born out of wedlock always has hard time blending with the society." All the time in his long speech, Chouji didn't miss the perturbed expression colored the face of Shikamaru bit by bit. "Don't tell me you haven't thought at all about marriage…"

"Seriously never." Shikamaru muttered, processing the words he heard just now and tried to put the idea into his future plan. "I never thought of asking Ino to marry me…"

"Why? You don't want to marry Ino?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily. For the last, he shot a troubled look at Chouji.

"No…"

**x**

It stung, it hurt so much. Hearing the word No out of Shikamaru's mouth once again tore her heart apart.

_No?_ Ino wanted to scream with ultimate heartbreak. _Why?!_

Minutes ago, while she was on her feet searching for Shikamaru, she really hadn't thought of eavesdropping the two best friends' conversation, or rather discussion. The rooftop was the last place she had in mind, because it was the farthest cloud-watching spot from the gates. With her time running short each second, Ino climbed up the stairs with full speed, suffering from uncomfortable feelings rose in her stomach because of the hot heat of the sun. And when she arrived, thankfully without making an entrance, ready to burst with a simple line of "I'm leaving for a mission now, Shikamaru", a question from Chouji brought her actions into a halt.

Chouji was saying, "So, what are you going to do, Shikamaru?"

Just hearing the serious tone of Chouji without even looking at his face, Ino concluded on the spot that her other genin teammate already knew about her pregnancy. Shikamaru probably had told him the news. Besides, what was their more serious topic if it wasn't about her?

Slightly shaking with a little bit hint of embarrassment, Ino listened to their voices in silence. Not that she was angry at the revelation, but Shikamaru should've told her that he was going to tell Chouji at least – so that she could prepare for…well, anything.

And as she listened more and more in their deep talk, the swelling feelings within her turned to rage.

_What? Shikamaru didn't want to marry her?!!_

Ino wanted to laugh out of pity towards herself. So much for the little faith she put in him…

And now he simply paid her with this…painful remark?!

She thought after spending some quality time together, with just the two of them, somehow it all fall into pieces for Shikamaru to notice that that was how their life should be when expecting a child, that the mother and father were both together for their baby. And would it be sweeter if the togetherness was protected securely in the hands of marriage?

How innocent she was, thinking like that?

Whilst Shikamaru never bothered at all.

The bitter feeling she tasted in her throat was more significant now. She wanted to gag, throw up, cry, anything but she just couldn't. She couldn't lose her sanity there. She didn't want her teammates knew that she knew about their talk. Having them pitied her was the last thing she had in mind. She was nothing to Shikamaru, now she realized that. She was just…a girl who happened to be the mother of his child by accident.

Loud and clear.

"_Everything will flow if you wait just long enough." _Ino recalled Sakura's words sometime ago.

Yes, she had given him time. More than long enough for a person who had an IQ over 200 like Shikamaru to think of a plan, any plans, hopefully the best one. A marriage. That was what she wanted. Just forget about the fact that they were just friends, because what matter the most now was their baby. Love could come by later, or maybe…heck, to hell with love.

"_Maybe he'll decide to marry you. You don't have to worry. Just believe in him. Time will tell."_

Ino chuckled weakly to herself.

_You are so wrong, Sakura…_

**x**

"No?" Chouji inquired. "Why?"

Shikamaru tried to make out some shapes from the clouds floating above. "Hmm…" He replied with a grunt, cared less. "She's troublesome…"

And that one sentence made Ino clenched her fists hard. Her insides wanted to burst with full, genuine anger.

_I-I'm…troublesome?!_

"But that's not really the reason." Shikamaru continued. His voice held the similar tone. "The truth is…she didn't fit in my future plans."

_Oh, now he _had_ future plans?!!_ Ino asked herself sarcastically.

Realizing Chouji had turned quiet, Shikamaru glanced up and found his chubby best friend was looking at him with a blank look. Shikamaru knew that Chouji was furious, a bit confused about his reason. Turning to his original position, Shikamaru elaborated more. "Remember when I told you about how I want my future wife to be?"

Chouji nodded, quoting the description. "That you only wanted an average girl to be your wife, not too pretty but not ugly…"

"Exactly." Shikamaru replied firmly. "I just want a wife who is exactly like that. And definitely not troublesome at all. Ino's way too different. She's troublesome – obviously. Don't give me that look. I know you agree with me." Shikamaru knitted his brows. "I could spend time, live with her as _friends,_ but more than that? I'm not sure. With her nagging and constant bossing, she's really hard to deal. I seriously don't want to get involved with _that_ kind, especially spending the rest of my life with. Ever."

Chouji said nothing at those sharp, painful words of Shikamaru. It was surprising to know how the laid-back genius really despised a certain female's characteristics. Even he felt some aching feeling burned in his heart, what more could be in store if the real person described here heard all that?

Ino surely…

"And one more thing." Chouji arched his brows, directing his mind back to the current situation. Somehow, he felt like defending Ino because his hands started to shake of wanting to strangle his own best friend. How could Shikamaru being so mean?

"One more thing…" Shikamaru studied the blue sky. _"Ino's too pretty."_

That acknowledgement surprised Chouji even more. He heard a sigh in that sentence. He didn't understand why Shikamaru felt such troubled at the adjective mentioned. "So what? Everybody wants a beautiful wife."

"That's the problem, Chouji." Closing his eyes, Shikamaru sighed. "She's totally _out_ of my future plans. _She didn't fit in my life at all."_

**x**

Tears sprung to her eyes after hearing that last sentence. Ino couldn't hear more. She was not strong enough to hear more. Her eyes felt very painful because she tried so hard not to let even a single drop of tears fall. She was too stubborn to let it fall.

Shikamaru's words…it hurt her.

No, it killed her.

Since the very first No she heard actually.

Collecting the pieces of any remaining strength she still had within her, Ino took a deep breath and swallowed all the beginning tears formed in her eyes in just a single gulp. Ino quickly dashed down the stairs, ran, ran away to escape the misery that haunting her. And all the time in her running, Ino tried so hard to put her normal expression back into place. She couldn't face the crowd with her face looking like hell. She didn't want any of the villagers or her colleagues to notice that something was wrong with her.

But she couldn't stop wondering in fury.

The reason why Shikamaru didn't want to marry her was because she was too _pretty_?!

Just because of that? Just because she didn't fit in his future plans?!

Ino was torn between laughing and crying.

Couldn't he be anymore…_s-spastic_?!!!

_Damn, Chouji's right._ Ino thought angrily. _Who wouldn't want a beautiful wife?!_

Ino moved furiously through the crowd, shoving anybody who stood blocking her way. Some people frowned at her actions and shouted but she didn't care about anything anymore. To hell with manner, to hell with grace, to hell with anything. It was not like she wanted a handsome prince to be her husband, or someone as cool as Uchiha Sasuke, her childhood crush. She just wanted a plain, ordinary-looking guy, if not handsome enough for her taste to share the rest of her life with. Not only that, she had known him all her life, he was like her other half. And most importantly, he was the father of the baby she was carrying inside! How could he…how could Shikamaru thought about…_that_?!!

Ino bit her bottom lip hard. Yes, she was mad, very angry really. She didn't know how she should respond to Shikamaru's _idiotic_ thinking. Not wanting to marry her because she was too _pretty_?!

Frustration dwelled up within her, making Ino wanted to scream her heart out.

But after all her anger dissipated away, replaced by the pain and sore feelings inside her heart, with her conscious mind and rational thinking Ino realized that whether she was pregnant with his child or not, still Shikamaru didn't want to marry her.

She won't, wouldn't be chosen to be his wife just because she was too pretty to fit in his future plans. Ever.

She could never be one of the Naras – no matter what.

And that made her dying heart met its doom.

Quickening her steps, Ino inhaled all the bitter feelings away and rushed towards the gates. She knew she hadn't told him that she was leaving but that doesn't matter anymore.

Heck, why she even considered telling him that?

Why she even considered him to be her husband?

Ino thought about the times they spent together in her bed for the last few nights and remembered all the awkward feelings he stirred up deep down inside her. She cringed out of her self realization of her own self stupidity.

And why she even considered feeling something towards him?

Only one answer.

_Yamanaka Ino, you idiot!!_

**x**

"But as much as I didn't want to marry her…" Shikamaru spoke after a few moments of silence. The chubby guy beside him just waited a chance to land his blow, of course on Ino's behalf. If he ever heard Shikamaru's mean words about their girl once again, he won't be hesitated to beat Shikamaru into a pulp. "I couldn't stop thinking about spending the rest of my life with her anymore, ever since you mentioned about marriage, Chouji. You made me realize…"

Shikamaru silently observed the blue background in the sky and thought about his words earlier, about every single thing that concerned Ino. He chuckled lowly, feeling guilty at his own harsh words. He regretted having those words came out of his mouth. Man, if Ino ever heard him, every single word, loud and clear, surely she won't forgive him for the rest of his life. Perhaps in the next lifetime, too.

She would get mad, throw a tantrum, beat him to death, or worse, she would hate him with all her heart, no doubt.

Chouji let out a desperate sigh, unclenching his fists. "You make me confuse, buddy… Now what do you mean by that?"

An image of sleeping Ino in his arms appeared in front of Shikamaru's mind's eye. He remembered the first dawn they shared together, and about the sudden outburst he felt in his heart the moment he took in the sight of her. The blanket had fallen to their feet and revealed the most intimidating image of her he had never seen in his seventeen years of life. Ino's short nightgown was hiked up to her upper body, revealing her mouth-watering smooth legs, cute strawberry panties she wore and her appealing stomach. Though it wasn't the first time he saw her stomach, but that time he just couldn't help himself from reaching out to her and stroked the part where their baby rested.

_This is the girl, the woman who carrying my child_, he thought, studying her sleeping face. _How beautiful…_ He stroked her skin with his calloused palm tenderly, as if caressing the baby inside. As he looked at her more and more, his insides began to feel warm. His body began to move out of his will.

Slowly, he got up and lowered his head, planting his lips on the body part he was stroking right now in a long, lingering kiss.

He continued trailing kisses on her forehead down to both her cheeks, and finally her lips, so lightly, so tenderly like butterfly touches. And when he pulled away, a sudden realization hit him.

He wanted more.

He wanted his mornings to start like that ever since.

He wanted her to be the first person he saw when he woke up, and the last before he went to sleep.

And after a few moments later, Ino woke up, looking at him with her eyes that reflected the same color of the sky he stared at right now, he felt his own self melted.

It was her, it was Ino, it was the beautiful mother of his child who made him feel that way.

He wanted her so badly.

"Chouji…" Shikamaru's tone was serious. His face showed the same emotion. Chouji arched his brows, silently urging his best friend to speak. Shikamaru took a deep breath and placed a hand on his left chest. "I think I just got myself trapped in a troublesome situation ever…"

His heart was beating fast.

"I think I'm in love with Ino…"

…**to be continued.**

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_Somebody asked for mints, so here it goes!_

_Mints for:_ NazaliaSan, imgonnadie, Sweet n Sour-shikaino-, TroublesomeShikamaru, BloodyMaerry, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks (especially for you!), Sakura12, Elsie-neechan, solitarywarrior, XenaiiTwilightMoon, naash, x0x, sugarmonkey778, burnstar, DesertCat, Wings-chan, Inu Youkai Yume, ShikaFreak., Airotia, Shika2211, aki-child, tangerinefever, Lady Kenley, Kiome-Yasha, Flaming Beauty, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, StarryRavenFire, Bella-Rose01, suzako, L.K., tomboy14, Anime Demon 123, Winged Valkiria and Seanshine.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	10. Arranged Marriage?

_A/N: Quoting __my muse's__ words, "Men can be more complicated than women but they just don't realize it. They thought we are difficult to handle but basically they are the same". Agree, minna?_

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**Chapter 10: Arranged Marriage?**

Temari stood a few feet away from the vomiting blonde, silently observing the situation with full-blasted curiosity. She didn't approach Ino or do anything, let alone asking her what was going on with her. She just let Ino finished puking her guts out in peace.

Maybe Ino's throwing up got to do with her health. Maybe she was sick or something?

Still, the vomiting seemed odd to her eyes. Temari had the weirdest feeling ever about the situation Ino was in. Woman's instinct. Besides, it wasn't like the first time she saw a girl vomited before.

And there were many reasons regarding to girls' vomiting. Whether it was because of health, eating disorder, just feel like it or…

The girl was just not _right_.

At last, after a few moments that felt like forever, the vomiting stopped and Ino carefully cleaned up the mess she made in silence. After she was done, she turned to Temari.

"I don't feel so well. A little dizzy," she spoke hastily. "Sorry for delaying our journey."

Reason number one. "It's alright." Temari finally spoke but curiosity never left her eyes. Ino looked so pale, so weak. Temari wondered if that girl could even walk, moreover, running in fast paces, hopping from tree to tree. "So, can we go now?"

"Yeah." Ino nodded as she brushed the last dirt away from her clothes. Her confidence was at the highest level as usual.

One last odd look from Temari but Ino simply cast the worry away. "Okay. Let's go." She spoke at last.

Temari moved first in a quite speedy pace while Ino slowly followed her close from behind. Due to her throwing up and the rising heat of the sun, Ino's body desperately wanted to rest for a bit but she didn't want to voice her heart out to Temari. She was afraid of the Suna kunoichi's sharp eyes, which were watching her so keenly before, as if going to see right through her. They shared the same gender and Temari was three years older, her life experience was greater, surely Temari could easily smell her pregnancy if she observe her even more.

Not only that, her mind was full of the hurtful event before. Ino cringed, her mind still hanging on Shikamaru's harsh words.

How could he be so mean, so…stupid? Wasn't he the genius in this story?

**x**

"Ahh…" Chouji finally responded to Shikamaru's revelation. "Now you said you think you're in love with Ino? Are you serious?"

"I've never been any serious than I am right now, Chouji," Shikamaru muttered under his breath. He was sure quite of his feelings. How very slow of him. "Yeah, I love her. I guess I was in love with her long before I knew it."

"You mean…since we were in our genin days?"

"Maybe…" Shikamaru shrugged. "I'd always thought that she's hot – yes, ever since we were in our genin days. The attraction was always there, especially when she took her body wrappings off…" An image of Ino standing with one hand on her hip in her usual arrogant pose danced in front of his eyes. The first time she made her debut by dressing like that had made him unable to sleep peacefully for a few of nights in a row. He just couldn't forget how appealing, how _delicious_ a grown-up Ino had become. Her bare skin attracted him, particularly the middle part. And for the first time in his life, he secretly thanked her for always stay in shape.

His photographic memory made it hard for Shikamaru to ditch that image away. Not only that, he had come to the age where a normal male teenager like him began to experience the battle of raging hormones. As the time passed and he gradually grown, overcome sweet sixteen and slowly stepping into adulthood, he didn't realize that the image had created some wanting towards his gorgeous childhood friend and eventually grew bigger and bigger each day. From awe it had turned to some sort of lust and Shikamaru wasn't even aware of his own toxic feelings.

It was not surprising to know that it wasn't difficult for LUST turned to LOVE.

"So, will you marry Ino?" A question from Chouji broke his thoughts away. Shikamaru chuckled. Chouji sounded just like a father.

He didn't answer immediately. Certainly there was still doubt hanging at the back of his mind. Shikamaru fell into a deep thinking once again. His forehead wrinkled with lines of frown. His shoulders sagged with burdening uncertainties. "I don't know…" Finally he spoke, wearily. "Maybe…ah…I'm not sure…"

"Duh…" Chouji began to feel a little bit frustrated towards the lazy ninja. He never knew how a simple Shikamaru could be such a pain in the ass sometimes. _Too much cowardly value in him_, Chouji concluded. Troublesome.

"Will Ino marry me?" Oh, that was what perturbed his mind. Chouji wanted to laugh, the same time wanting to punch some guts into Shikamaru's ill spirit.

"You'll never know unless you ask her."

Shikamaru groaned. "I just know what her answer will be."

"She'll say yes." Chouji replied confidently.

"She'll say no." Shikamaru bit his bottom lip. "You know why, Chouji. I'm just not her type. Ino wouldn't want a guy like _me_."

"Believe me, it will be a Yes." Shikamaru raised questioning brows. "I agree about the type part, Shikamaru. Ino wouldn't want a guy like you, like _us_. But you have to remember one thing; Ino's not dumb like she appears to be. She's bright and has the kindest heart. She'll accept your proposal in no time – for the sake of the baby. Surely as a mother Ino wants the finest environment for her child."

"I don't think so…"

"Believe me, she'll say yes." Chouji was very adamant.

Shikamaru doubted his best friend's words but somehow it all made sense. Yeah, it was not impossible for Ino to say yes. Though the blonde was sometimes selfish and very bitchy, but it was true that she possessed the kindest heart. Ino always thought of others and after witnessing how much Ino loved her still-flat growing belly, Ino probably jumped at the subject of marriage – if Shikamaru ever mentioned one.

"Are you…sure?" There was a glimmer of hope hidden beneath the dark pools of Shikamaru's eyes. "Will Ino say yes?"

Chouji chuckled. "Why don't you confirm it yourself buddy? Go find Ino _now_."

**x**

The sound of the doorbell chimed in the air made a blond-haired woman in her late thirties glanced up from her work at the counter to the entrance. A pair of blue eyes widened in surprise when detecting a very familiar male chuunin walked into the shop.

Her husband's best friend's son, Shikamaru was in his usual attire plus the lazy attitude. Somehow her presence there was not to be expected because Shikamaru seemed very surprised upon seeing that she was the one behind the counter.

"Shikamaru," Ino's mother greeted the approaching Nara.

"Um…hello," Shikamaru replied, a little bit nervous. Since he was busted sleeping in Ino's house a few days ago, he wasn't sure how to face the Yamanakas without feeling a little awkward. "Uh, is Ino here?"

"You want to see Ino?"

"Yeah…" Shikamaru looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of a certain blond-haired female. "Can I see her? Just for a moment."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear." Mrs. Yamanaka flashed an apologetic smile. "Ino's not in the shop."

That surprised Shikamaru. "I thought she was on watch today…"

"Yes, she was. But Ino was already gone the moment I returned from my errand."

"Oh…" Searching for her would be troublesome. Shikamaru let a small sigh escaped his lips.

"Do you know where she possibly at right now?"

"Why don't you check her at her house?" A wise suggestion. "Maybe she got tired of watching the shop and went home to rest. Besides, it's pretty hot today. You know Ino couldn't stand the heat, right? It's not impossible that she went home for a bath." Mrs. Yamanaka paused a little, as if remembering something. "Ah! Maybe you should go and ask Sakura. The old lady next door told me that the last time she saw Ino she was with her."

"Okay." Shikamaru turned to leave. "I'll check Ino at her house first."

"Is there something important you have to do with Ino, Shikamaru? Did you two have a mission or something?"

"Um…no." Shikamaru shook his head. "There's no mission but I have something very important to tell her."

If only Ino's mother knew what he was going to say to her daughter!

"Wait, Shikamaru!" Suddenly Mrs. Yamanaka rushed to him when he just stepped out of the flower shop. She was clutching something in her right hand.

"Yes?"

"I really, really forgot about this," the blonde flashed an envelope in front of Shikamaru's face. The envelope was big in size and kind of thick, too. "Can you please pass this to Ino?"

Knitting his brows, Shikamaru took the envelope in his hand and tried to figure out the content. There must be something very important inside, he thought. "What's this?"

It was rare for a Yamanaka woman to be secretive. Ino's mother looked very aware before saying her next words. Pulling Shikamaru back into the shop, her blue eyes made sure that the two of them was safe from any prying eyes and ears before tilting a little on her toes and whispered something in Shikamaru's ear. "I tell you but you have to promise me that you'll keep this as a secret."

Now Shikamaru was curious. He dropped his gaze back to the envelope in his hand. What actually lie inside the envelope?

"Okay…" He replied slowly, feeling strange.

"Open the envelope." Her voice was still low. Without wasting any second, Shikamaru did what asked.

He found a folded thick paper, like an A4-sized card, white in color. Shikamaru looked at the middle-aged woman beside him, silently asking permission to spread the fold open.

"Go ahead. Open it."

Shikamaru was not prepared at all to deal with what actually lie inside the card. The moment he took in the sight of the glossy and shiny paper, his quick mind managed to guess the meaning behind it instantly. His heart suddenly beat fast, very, very fast and for a second, his breath left his lungs. His body tensed, his muscles stiffened and there was a significant aching pain throbbed in his left chest.

"What do you think?" The tone filled with amusement and excitement. Shikamaru was speechless, like his tongue had been cut into two, unable to speak or mutter a reply, lost for words.

A pair of gorgeous green eyes was staring back at him, as if challenging him into a silent battle of wits. Rich, chocolate-colored hair cut in a very Sasuke style was such a contrast to his long, tightly tied black one. His slightly tanned skin looked very filthy compared to the creamy white smooth skin of the person in the picture. Shikamaru knew instantly that he already had lost in the unnamed battle if he was to compete with just his simple, ordinary-looking features against the man's gorgeous, smashing looks.

The thing Shikamaru held in his hand was a big-sized close-up photo glued to the inner side of the card, the one usually made for any marriage arrangement rendezvous.

"He's handsome, isn't he?" Even a married woman like Ino's mother was mesmerized with the picture, surely Ino as a growing teenager could easily affected, worse, fell in love with it in just a second.

And that ticked him to no end.

"Wh-why are you giving this to Ino?" Shikamaru hoped his voice didn't sound shaken. He was angry and hurt at the same time. Silently, he prayed that Ino's mother's answer would be the opposite of what he was thinking right now.

"I want to know what Ino think about this guy. You see, while I was visiting our relatives in Otafuku village a few days ago, he and his family came to see me and asked about Ino."

"Who is he?" Shikamaru's voice was bitter.

"Some distant relatives, very, very distant. His name is Shinkai Hajime(1), a very young successful karate master. He owns one of the best karate dojo in Fire Country and his family is one of the richest in Otafuku village. He had known Ino since he was a child and was very fond of her. Every time we visited our relatives there, he never missed a chance fooling around with her." Mrs. Yamanaka didn't realize Shikamaru's face had turned one shade darker. "On my last visit, Hajime-kun sent me a photo of him along with a marriage proposal. He wants Ino to be his bride."

Shikamaru hid his groan of frustration. He looked at the photo again and felt his heart burned with fury. If Ino ever saw the picture, certainly she accepted the marriage proposal without thinking twice. Shinkai Hajime was _so_ her type.

Handsome, cool, gorgeous, famous and rich; a guy who was far too different from him. Shinkai Hajime was so not Nara Shikamaru.

"Do you think Ino will accept his proposal?" The tone contained hope.

"Do you…want Ino to?" Shikamaru mumbled in reply.

"Why, yes… Yes, yes of course! Hajime-kun is a good guy. He is nice and kind, very hardworking, strong and very protective, I'm sure that he could take care of Ino just fine." The blond-haired woman smiled and that made Shikamaru twitched because the smile was just like Ino's. "Besides, if Ino ever marry him, then I will never have to worry about her anymore."

"What do you mean, Mrs. Yamanaka?"

"Well, a married woman must follow her husband wherever he goes. If they get married, then it's a must for Ino to live with him at the Otafuku village. If possible, quit her ninja life. I never liked Ino being a ninja, Shikamaru. It's dangerous. She could die any time and I don't want that to happen before I close my eyes."

"But Ino's a good and strong kunoichi. It would be a great loss for Konoha if she quit being a ninja." Shikamaru protested.

"I know, Shikamaru. I know. I believe in her ability, strongly I do. Just…this motherly instinct I have inside of me always wished Ino to be safe and healthy. I got all worried every time she had missions." Noticing the pained look reflected in Shikamaru's eyes, Mrs. Yamanaka quickly blurted, "Oh, I know you've been such a good teammate to Ino, Shikamaru! I know you always protect her. It's not like I didn't trust her life in your hands, it's just…sometimes things didn't always go smoothly according to what's planned. A low-ranked mission could easily turn to A or S-rank and this is where your life is on gamble. You could lose anytime."

"So, do you strongly hope that Ino will accept this proposal?"

"Yes. And get married straightaway, though I'm sure Inoichi will go ballistic once he heard about this."

Shikamaru's heart jumped a little. "Why?"

"Duh, because Ino's his little princess of course! Inoichi will be very sad to hand Ino over to some guy this early! You saw how nobody manages to date Ino, let alone marry her. Inoichi's still not ready to let Ino go." Mrs. Yamanaka rolled her eyes. "Over-protective old man…"

A fake smile formed between Shikamaru's lips. He chuckled lowly. "Is that so…" All the confidence he gathered back at the rooftop was greatly minimized by the presence of Shinkai Hajime's picture and Inoichi's over-protective nature. Now Shikamaru wasn't sure what to do. Should he go on with his plan? Should he just ask Ino to marry him? Looking at the current situation now, surely the percentage of him being accepted was nil.

No.

_No_, Shikamaru decided as he marched furiously to Ino's apartment. _No, no, no!_ There was no way he give up that easily, succumb to his fate without even trying to change it. He was not going to let Ino marry to some guy, any guy other than him!

Forget that he wasn't her type. That was not the problem now. If people looked closely at the current situation now, surely they didn't fail to notice that Shikamaru was more dominant than Shinkai Hajime in this matter. Shikamaru had all the right in the world to make Ino his.

Inside Ino's womb, lay a baby, a child from his blood. And that was just enough to prove his right.

Even if Ino didn't want to marry him, even if she refused his proposal with all her heart, Shikamaru will use his right on her, Shikamaru will use the baby as the reason why they should get married, even if it meant forcing her. And after making her his wife, then he will go on to the next plan.

Shikamaru was going to make Ino fall in love real hard with him.

…**to be continued.**

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_Can we say, __"Yeah, that's the spirit, Shikamaru!"_

_(1) Taken from a Japanese drama "Good Luck", a role played by Takuya Kimura. He's so hot!!_

_Gummi bears for your thoughts_: x-an-angel-cries-x, imgonnadie, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, Flaming Beauty, TroublesomeShikamaru, Airotia, Iliada, dampirecat, NazaliaSan (no, I could not give you any more Neji teddybear. What happen to the one I gave you before? Please take good care of your belonging! Heheh…), xinping2016, Sweet n Sour-shikaino-, tomboy14, solitarywarrior, shelovesyou26, Shera-girl, burnstar, Lady Kenley, XenaiiTwilightMoon, Narutard Kiba, Shikamaru2211, Lechu, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, FallenXPoptart13, suzako, aki-child, Sakura12, Gonrie, Wings-chan, Amiee15, Suki dah Turdle, InoShikaRocks, Ebil chameleon, Bella-Rose01, kunoichihinata14, Sayo, anime09, cherry, Seanshine and Anime Demon 123.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!!_


	11. Leap of Faith

_A/N: __Crap. I don't know what's wrong with ffdotnet. I tried to put this chapter up a few days ago but it didn't work. Gomen for the delay. Blame this site, not me._

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**Chapter 11: Leap of Faith**

Shikamaru slammed the nearly crumpled envelope against the white surface of Ino's kitchen counter angrily, finding the said blonde wasn't at home. The view of the empty apartment greeted his sight once he unlocked and spread the door open. There was no sign of human presence around except him.

The living room, bedroom, bathroom, balcony, the kitchen… It was all empty.

_Dammit!_ Shikamaru hissed. Anger flared up inside him. _Where the hell is she?!_

He had to see her fast. He could not hold his proposal any longer, he needed to say it right, say it all to Ino at this damned second, before Ino could even see the handsome face of Shinkai Hajime, before Ino could even think of his proposal, before Ino could be persuaded by her mother to accept the said proposal. Ino had to say yes to him, she just had to marry him and become his wife.

But how could he drop on his knees and utter the troublesome question without her standing before him? He couldn't just say "Will you marry me?" to the wall, could he?

Shinkai Hajime's face came haunting him once again. Yes, the guy was undoubtedly good looking and almost perfect with his good qualities, too. Shikamaru was sure that Ino won't hesitate at all to marry him. Shikamaru recalled their younger days, where almost every time he saw Ino jumped and _glomp_ed her childhood crush, the famous and irresistible Uchiha Sasuke. That girl loved pretty boys like Sasuke, and Shinkai Hajime was pretty much the same kind.

Whatever. Shikamaru pushed his thoughts away. The longer the guy was in his mind, the anger he got. There was no point in thinking that issue now. The first and foremost thing he had to do was to find Ino and _propose_.

"_Ah! Maybe you should go and ask Sakura. The old lady next door told me that the last time she saw Ino she was with her."_

Sakura. Shikamaru decided to find that girl now. Maybe she had a clue to Ino's whereabouts or if he was lucky, Ino probably was with her.

With a renewed hope, Shikamaru stormed out of the apartment and hit the road, attempting to search for a certain bubblegum-haired kunoichi.

**x**

Maybe luck was really by his side or the heavens pitied him, because less in five minutes Shikamaru found the object of his searching.

Haruno Sakura, the medic-nin and also happened to be the Godaime Hokage apprentice just stepped out of the hospital alone when Shikamaru saw her. Ino obviously wasn't with her.

She almost jumped when suddenly a shadow hovered upon her without warning. Sakura didn't see Shikamaru coming, even didn't feel his presence. The shadow user looked so tensed, so _worried_. "Shikamaru…" She greeted the approaching colleague.

"Sakura," his voice was tight, his expression was cold, and his breathing was harsh. "Have you seen Ino?"

Slowly, Sakura nodded. "Yes. Some moments ago. Why?"

"Do you possibly know where she is right now? I have something _really_ important to tell her."

The pink brows were raised in surprise. "You're asking me where is Ino? What? You _didn't_ know?"

Now Shikamaru was the one who surprised. "What makes you think I _knew_?"

"Because Ino said that she – oh, crap." Sakura smacked her forehead, sighing heavily. "She _didn't_ tell you, did she?"

"What?"

"Ino didn't come to see you before she left? If I remember correctly, she said she wanted to tell you, she _had_ to tell you that she's leaving for a mission."

Shikamaru felt his blood vaporize hearing the word mission. "A _mission_?!"

"Yeah, Tsunade-shishou gave her a mission just a little while ago." Shikamaru's face turned a lot darker. Oh, he was mad.

"And she _accept_ it?!"

"The mission requires Yamanaka clan special abilities, and since Ino's the only available Yamanaka around, she had no choice but to accept."

It must be the spying mission and the mission ranked at least B, Shikamaru thought. _That's dangerous, dammit!_ His rage reached the highest level. It was easy to get hurt, she could've received fatal damage on her body or worse, she could've been killed. Ino's safety, their baby's safety… It was all in Shikamaru's head right now.

"Where is the mission takes place, Sakura?" Pursuing Ino might be a good idea.

"Suna." Sakura seemed to know what he was thinking. It was all reflected in his face. Surely she could've agreed if he tell her about his plan.

Or maybe not.

"But I'm sorry, Shikamaru. You cannot go after her."

"Why?"

"Because the mission is not Konoha's. It's Suna's. And it's Ino's solo mission. She was requested personally by Suna council. Once she arrives, she'll team up with the Suna shinobis and carry out the mission together. Suna needs her abilities to complete the mission. You cannot interfere with other ninja villages' mission, Shikamaru, you know that. Just forget about pursuing her, shishou won't allow you."

"Damn!" Shikamaru hissed, knowing it was true. It was not his place to meddle in Suna's business. They probably had everything taken care of for the mission. His presence might give them trouble. "But could I just request to be the back up? We've done that numerous times, being Suna's back up, that is."

"In open battle, yes." Sakura answered. "But in silent battle, no."

"What do you mean?"

"You should know by now that Ino's mission is a _spying_ mission, Shikamaru. And spying mission didn't require many people to carry it out. The less is better. And there will be no fight, so any back ups are not needed."

"There will be _no_ fight?" Shikamaru couldn't believe his ears. "That's ridiculous! Any mission, even walking a dog could involve a fight, Sakura! Ino's mission is a _spying_ mission; it ranks at least B! Fights, battles, injuries, _death_s… Those are common things in B-ranks missions and ups! And you assured me there will be _no_ fight?"

"The mission will not involve a fight, Shikamaru." Sakura recalled the mission's briefing she heard back in the Hokage's office. "Believe me."

**x**

"Suna's higher ups suspect that there's a traitor in their council. They found out that recently some sealed documents and information had been exposed to their enemies. They've investigated a few suspicious people but they couldn't figure out who the traitor is because the result shows that everybody is clean. No evidences whatsoever, very strong alibis." Tsunade signaled Shizune to lay out the rest of the details.

"Suna suggests that they should observe the six suspects doing everyday lives and find out any crack or info or clue regarding who the traitor is. However, the observation must be carried out secretly. That's why Suna came to us, because they knew some of our ninjas have the suitable jutsus to carry out the plan." Shizune handed the commission sheet to Ino. "They need the Yamanaka clan's spying techniques, Shintenshin no Jutsu."

Ino read the formal words printed on the white sheet with Sakura peered over her shoulder and read along. "So all I need to do is become one of the suspect's family members and dig out as much information as I could?" The blonde asked once she finished reading the paper. "Meaning I have to find the _mole_ by taking over their mind?"

"Exactly."

Seeing Ino stiffened, Tsunade spoke, "Don't worry. Suna will back you up in any way their can and your safety is their top priority. As long as your disguise goes smoothly, you'll have nothing to worry about. I know it's hard for you to carry this mission alone and there are six suspects you need to observe, but I believe you can do it and bring it to success. Suna will monitor your performance and if you do well, they can be your sponsor for the next jounin promotion. You'll be a proud asset to Konoha."

Ino slowly nodded, seeing the golden chance fell into her hands. _This is it!_ Her heart screamed with joy. _My chance of getting a promotion!_ If she take the mission, it would be easier for her to become a jounin. It was not like she didn't believe in herself, but it was known to every chuunin that the jounin exam was ten times harder than the chuunin exam. It was difficult to pass, that was the reason why there were very few jounin ninjas around.

With the whole Suna council as her sponsor, passing the jounin exam should be a piece of cake.

"Okay!" Ino gave her approval. "I take this mission."

"Good." Tsunade smiled.

"But how long this mission is going to take?" Sakura butted in. She was worried about her best friend. Staying long in Suna probably won't do any good to her. Ino's pregnancy was still unstable. She'll do a lot of throw-ups and judging from the high temperature in the desert village, it was not impossible for Ino to faint or experience some difficulties easily. She had to appear in perfect condition to Suna shinobis' eyes. Suspicion was the least Ino needed right now.

"Depends." Shizune answered. "Now you need to get ready because you are to leave soon, Yamanaka Ino. You'll go to Suna with an escort."

**x**

"Oh, gosh…" Sakura groaned, cursing herself silently. "I shouldn't tell you this…"

Shikamaru ignored her grunt. "So, what Ino have to do in the mission is just taking over some people's mind and find the _mole_?"

Sakura nodded. "That's correct."

"And you said that this mission _isn't_ going to involve a fight?"

"Yeah. As long as Ino –" Sakura inhaled sharply. A sudden realization about the possible circumstances hit her. "As long as Ino…mask her disguise _perfectly_…"

His thin lips were tight with worry and anger. Shikamaru felt like he was going to go crazy. "If the suspects find out that they're being watched, surely Ino – damn, they probably won't hesitate at all to stab her with a kunai, family or not!"

"Let's just pray that it won't happen, Shikamaru." Sakura cut his words. "Ino mastered the jutsu well. And her acting skill is amazing. I'm sure you're well aware of that. She'll do great, for sure."

"But –"

"Don't worry. Have a little faith in her."

But Shikamaru's wariness hadn't lessened at all, not even a bit. He looked like he was about to explode. "Who is her escort to Suna?"

"I don't know." Sakura replied. "Probably some Suna shinobi goes back home. Why – hey, where are you going?"

"I need to talk to Godaime." Shikamaru answered gruffly, heading to the right direction.

"What?! Are you still with the idea of being the back up, Shikamaru?" Sakura quickly snatched his arm, putting his walk into a halt. The look Shikamaru threw at her answered her question. "I've told you shishou won't listen to you!"

"I _should_ be in this mission, too, Sakura! Only I suits Ino's jutsu well. Suna shinobi doesn't know how to handle her once her mind leaves her body. Besides, Ino's _unwell_. I have to take care of her, I promised her that." Shikamaru yanked his arm away from her grasp. "Ino's safety, our baby's safety is my top priority. I hope you understand me, Sakura."

"And I hope you understand me, Shikamaru!" Sakura grabbed his arm once again. "This information about Ino's mission is supposed to be a secret. It's Suna's confidential business! I'll be dead if shishou finds out I spread the words around!"

"But I'm worried!"

"Stop being childish! Have you ever thought about the possible circumstances if you carry on with your careless act? Requesting to be a back up only will cause shishou's curiosity! She would want to know why the _lazy_ you demands such request! She would want to know why you want to go after Ino! She wouldn't be fooled by any of your _genius_ reasons." Sakura shot a dangerous look. "She would suspect that something's wrong with Ino."

"Godaime won't find out that Ino's pregnant." Shikamaru gritted his teeth, controlling the beginning outburst of his temper. "I'll make sure –"

"Or she would. Our Hokage is an intelligent woman." Sakura's grip on Shikamaru's arm was tight. "First, she'll question you how you get your ears on this. Second, she'll question me why I tell you all this. Third, she'll question you back why you want to know about this. You couldn't simply say that you're worried about Ino, and that you are her teammate and teammates should carry out the mission together. It's not like the first time you and Ino does mission separately. Shishou will question what it is about Ino that you're so worried about. And there'll be lots of why to come after that. Don't put our _secret_ at stake, Shikamaru. As much as I want to tell shishou about this, sadly I can't because I promised Ino I'll keep my mouth shut until she gives her approval – along with yours."

"Sakura –"

"Just have a little faith in Ino. I'm sure she'll make it home _alive_."

Shikamaru breathed hard, slowly surrendering to Sakura's wise words. True, what she said all made sense. "Geez, I've told her to not take missions anymore…" His voice sounded like a whine. "Why can't she just listen to me?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh, like you don't know how stubborn Ino is. She won't listen to anybody once she gets her mind fixed on something, even someone superior to her like her dad."

"This is such a drag." Shikamaru paced back and forth furiously. "I couldn't take it if this situation happens again in the future. What should I do or say to make her listen to me, Sakura?"

The pink-haired kunoichi looked at him long. Her gaze was sharp and meaningful. "I don't know, Shikamaru…" She answered carefully. "Maybe you just have to be someone who has a _full_ right on her."

Shikamaru mentally kicked himself. Of course by being Ino's husband, it was easy for him to blast his restriction, his strict control on her, to make her listen to his every word. Why was he so slow when it came to things like this? Damn, he should've thought of marrying her the moment she broke the news that she was pregnant with his child.

And now Ino wasn't in Konoha and there was a proposal from some rich guy – a competition to him. Shikamaru was trapped between the dilemmas; Ino's safety and Ino's answer.

It was just a matter of time for Shikamaru to finally breathe at ease and until then, all he needed to keep himself sane while Ino was away, out of his sight, was only a leap of faith.

How troublesome.

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_ALL THE __LOVE__ IN THE WORLD FOR:_ Kebire, Lechu, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, DesertCat, Desert Mortician, sugarmonkey778, gonrie, Airotia, Ebil chameleon, tomboy14, moonlight haku, Shikamaru2211, aki-child, Sakura Uchiha5433, StarryRavenFire, Wings-chan, Dani Casster, solitarywarrior, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, Flaming Beauty, XenaiiTwilightMoon, Elsie-neechan, Sasukes-girl08, burnstar, Sweet n Sour-shikaino-, eiirisa, suzako, kunoichihinata14, Dreamstar The Cat Ninja, Seanshine, MistressTenten, anime09, Angeleyes1994, Sakura12, Sexual-Itako, larissa, BellaRose, kemiztri, Nemrut, Shera-girl, Kenzie493, imgonnadie, Narutard Kiba, Lady Kenley, Cursed Dragon and AcidicParanoia.

_I love you guys. Without y'all, I'm nothing. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter (and always, always stick with me)!_


	12. So Sick

**Chapter 12: So Sick**

The two blondes certainly had no idea that they would be paired up for the mission. Temari and Ino; who would've thought? Never in mission's history existed a pairing consisted of two women. It won't work out, some said. The percentage for the mission to success was almost zero; a possibility. Odd, another said. At least a mission must consist of a man and a woman, one concluded.

But that was how Suna council arranged the team for the important spying mission. It was already decided the moment they saw the two kunoichis walked together into the village's border. Had been on road for two days together, they figured that Temari and Ino must've get along with each other quite well, and that could help bringing the mission to success. Nobody in Suna was close to one Yamanaka Ino for that girl had never been to Suna before, so Temari was their only solution. The Kazekage's older sister was used to the people of Konoha anyway, judging from how often she visited the said village.

So there they were, in the briefing room, waiting for any of Suna superiors to come and explain the details of the mission.

Ino was nervous, Temari could tell. She saw the blonde fidgeted right at the last minute. Sweat embedded her smooth forehead, making her long bangs a little bit damp. Her big blue eyes scanned the whole room anxiously, her full lips were pursed into a thin line. Though the space between her and the Konoha kunoichi were feet away, yet she could hear the thumping sound of her nervous heartbeat clearly. Not only that, Ino looked a little bit pale. Comparing to the high temperature in the desert, her cheeks were supposed to be red with color, not just some light, sickening hue.

_She look quite unwell_, Temari scrutinized the blonde more. Since she saw Ino throwing up at the beginning of their journey three days ago, she couldn't help but wondering that there must be something wrong with her. Even if a girl wasn't healthy, she couldn't possibly throw up that much, could she? Not only that, the throwing ups were done consistently, at the right hours, as if Ino had the specific time-table for all the vomiting.

Temari recalled the scenes she witnessed during their journey and also a few hours back, which basically _all_ took place early in the _morning_.

**x**

She was on her way to the dining room for breakfast just in time she heard the odd sound again, like someone was _choking_ and _coughin_g so badly over and over again. The sound came from the bathroom located next to a certain Konoha kunoichi's room. Just after their arrival in Suna, she was told that Ino would be staying with the Suna siblings in their respective residence, the Kazekage tower. It was easy for them to reach her, the Suna council had said. Also, they could keep an eye on her, protect her at the same time.

The noises lasted for a few moments then the sound of the toilet being flushed followed soon after. Temari hid behind the door once Ino opened the bathroom and stepped out, oblivious of her presence there. The stunning blonde walked back to her room a little bit swayed, clutching a handful of clothes around her midsection. Her face was pale as ghost.

This wasn't good. Any of Ino's health problems, even an insignificant one, could cause difficulties to their mission. Her condition must be perfect, her body must be as good as new. Temari went back to her conceptions about Ino's throwing up she made just after she witnessed her did that once, trying to find a leak, anything to answer her curiosity.

At first she thought that Ino's vomiting was probably related with her health, but looking deep into the situation now, Temari was sure that was not the cause of it, how to say? Simply woman's instinct.

Was Ino probably had some eating disorder, say…bulimic? Somehow that conception didn't fit well either because Ino haven't had anything for breakfast, so the thing she threw out just now was certainly not food. Or perhaps it was meal from last night? Ino ate quite a lot at dinner, and supper, too. Was she feeling guilty about the amount of food she gobbled would affect her perfect figure? Temari wasn't sure.

And Ino's vomiting certainly wasn't based on just feel like it. You think that throwing up was easy as ABC? Hell, it was dead tiring!

So maybe, _maybe_ Ino was just not right.

**x**

"Hey," Temari finally decided to ask the Konoha kunoichi herself about the matter that troubling her. "Yamanaka."

Ino slowly turned her faced toward the voice. Her face lacked intrigue. "Yeah?"

"Is something wrong with you? You look so sick."

The pale blonde-haired girl flashed an awkward smile. She hesitantly brought a hand to her cheek. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"I'm okay." Ino nodded, assuring Temari. "I'm alright, I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Can I ask you something?" The green gaze was sharp. "It's quite personal."

Once again, Ino nodded. "Yes. What is it?"

"I heard you." Temari didn't alter her watch on Ino. She noticed the expression before her slightly changed, not much, but just enough to see. "You've been throwing up a lot recently, especially in the mornings. Don't think I didn't notice. It's kind of odd, you know? Now care to tell me what is the matter with it? Are you sick? Or does your throwing up have to do with something else?"

Ino lowered her gaze to the floor, didn't dare to challenge Temari's eyes. She knew this question would come up sooner or later. It was impossible to mask her throwing ups, especially after Temari had witnessed one. Now what she should answer her? Should she tell her the truth?

"I need you to be honest with me." Temari spoke, serious. "Because if you're not well, I could send a request for replacement and let other shinobi do your job."

"No!" Ino quickly declined. The mission was important to her. "I'm fine, really!"

"I'm not sure about that…"

"I don't have any sickness, whatsoever," the blue eyes insisted. "I could carry this mission, believe me!"

"But –" Temari wanted to speak more but her words were cut off by the arrival of their mission's instructor.

"Good day to everyone." The Suna siblings' jounin teacher occupied the seat in front of them two. "Let's not waste any more time, ladies. We need to find the mole fast."

Ino and Temari both sighed. But the sigh from Ino was clearly from relief while Temari frustration. Baki didn't notice the tense expression painted on the kunoichis' faces, he just carry on with the mission briefing.

_This is going to be a long day_, Ino thought. _How troublesome; Shikamaru would say…_

She stiffened all in a sudden, as if something struck her nerves. Ino mentally cursed herself for saying that name. She was mad at him, remember? Everything Shikamaru said that day was still fresh in her mind. She couldn't just ditch it all away. She didn't even know whether she could forgive his harsh words or not. It wasn't like she was carrying a grudge, but it was more like holding the painful heartache in her heart. But one thing for sure, she could never face him the same as before.

It never crossed in Shikamaru's mind that they should get married. Ino won't, wouldn't be chosen to be his wife any moment in this life, no matter what happen, just because she was too pretty to fit in his future plans…

So what was the point in relying on the hope, the faith she had in him anymore?

Maybe she should just give it all up.

Inhaling a renewed strength, Ino lifted her face up and focus her whole attention on Baki, unconsciously rubbing her bare arms for heat. She felt cold in a sudden, so cold, as if right at that moment she was trapped in a blizzard, where right now it was only air-con made the room cooler than outside. It was such a contrast; she wasn't supposed to feel that feeling when currently she was in the middle of a burning hot desert.

But against her better judgment, she had been feeling that cold air since two nights ago. Sleeping without Shikamaru there to hold her close really made her shiver, empty, dull…

So sick.

* * *

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The annoying sound again, Chouji grunted. Being woken in the middle of deep slumber surely was the most frustrating thing in the world, especially by the sound of the pebbles hit the bedroom window. And it was for the third time, thank heavens. With a slight grunt escaped his lips, Chouji jumped off the bed and walked hazily to the said window, opened it and peered out.

A shadow was lingering just below him. "What?" He hissed into the night.

"I couldn't sleep." Was the answer he got. Once again, Chouji groaned, this time a little bit loud, getting the hint.

"_Again_?"

A mumble replied him and Chouji knew exactly what it meant, though the sound barely reached his ears. Been friends for so long, he was used to the guy's "Hn"s and "Hmmph"s. Just now the mumble meant, "Just go get dressed and come out". So, he walked back into his bedroom and to the drawer and dressed. Seconds later, he was already down.

"Man, you're such a drag, Shikamaru."

The said guy chuckled. With his both hands still in pockets, in slouching pose, he led the chubby guy to a specific place he had in mind. "Whatever. I knew you'll do anything for me, buddy."

**x**

"You're not supposed to bring me _here_ again." Chouji muttered, eyes looking up to the glittery sky above while his mouth busily munching his favorite chips. "It's supposed to be somebody else."

"You mean…Ino?" Shikamaru answered lazily, looking so relax in his usual, lazy lying form.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because only couples do _stargazing_, best friends don't."

"It's the same as watching clouds…"

"It's not."

"Why?"

"Stargazing is a _romantic_ thing. You don't do romantic things with your best friends, do you?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I guess. It sounds really…odd."

"It's sickening." Chouji added.

"Nauseous."

"Right. So why'd you bring me here anyway?"

"I'm bored."

"Because you couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah."

"You're worried."

"Yeah."

"You missed her."

"Hell yeah." Shikamaru closed his eyes. True, he hadn't been able to sleep since a few nights ago without holding Ino in his arms like always. He felt so cold, so alone. Half of him seemed gone. Now he realized how much impact Ino had on him. He needed her warmth, needed to be close to her. He needed her presence around him, needed to see her, feel her.

"You are so sick!" Chouji laughed. True, due to Shikamaru's _sickness_, he hadn't been able to sleep for a few nights in a row, too. Shikamaru showing up at his house in the middle of midnight surely raised a lot of questions but the lazy guy simply said that he was going insane without somebody keeping him company. It was driving him crazy just thinking about Ino, Shikamaru said. He explained he was worried, scared as hell about the situation Ino probably gone through but Chouji concluded that Shikamaru was just sick with love. "Man, what am I going to do with you?"

"Just keep me sane." Shikamaru chuckled weakly. "Until she comes back."

"And when will that be?"

"Like I know…" A heavy sigh. "Ah, how troublesome…"

Chouji continued his munching. "You are going to lose yourself if you keep thinking about her, you know."

"I think I already lose myself, Chouji." Shikamaru sounded defeated.

"Maybe you need something to take your mind off of her."

"Yeah. Maybe…"

* * *

As Shikamaru per request, there was really something came to take his mind off of Ino for a while – for the time being.

He was granted a mission.

"This is such a drag," he muttered to himself as he ran to find Chouji in an incredible speed. He lacked time. He had to leave for his mission now, but not without telling Chouji something. "A mission at this _critical_ hour? Ino could come back any time!"

True, spying mission usually didn't take long period to finish. That day was the sixth day since Ino's leaving, so in two-three more days she'll probably home. Shikamaru wanted to catch her just in time she came, so that he could propose on the spot. He was sure of what her answer will be now. Like Chouji had said, Ino will say _yes_ to him – just for the sake of their baby.

But he certainly had no idea that Ino was _really_ mad at him.

"Shikamaru," Chouji acknowledged his presence at the Akimichi's residence. "What brings you here?"

Shikamaru breathed heavily. He looked troubled, not to mention slightly annoyed. "Believe it or not, Godaime just gave me a mission."

Chouji stared at him blankly. "So?"

"Meaning I will not be around the moment Ino comes back from Suna." Shikamaru was furious. "This is so troublesome. I need to propose fast!"

"If you don't want to go on the mission, couldn't you just decline?"

"Not a chance. I was made team captain."

"Troublesome indeed, buddy." Chouji nodded, understood his best friend's situation. "So what am I going to do about that?"

Shikamaru suddenly grabbed the fat shoulders and spoke seriously, really seriously. "Probably I won't be around when Ino comes back, so I need you to keep an eye on her. I'm really worried about her, you know? She couldn't take care of herself. I want you to watch her closely; her food, her necessities… Take over my role until I come back, could you do that for me?"

Chouji shrugged easily. "Anything for you, buddy. No problem."

"Please, _please_ take care of her, okay?" Shikamaru looked unsure. "I don't want anything to happen to her. The first trimester is very dangerous. Miscarriage occurs easily in that period; that's what Sakura told me."

"Don't worry, Shikamaru." Chouji smiled kindly, tapping his best friend's shoulder. "I know what to do."

Shikamaru nodded hesitantly. "Ah. One thing; beware of her mood swings. That could kill you."

"Oh, come on." Chouji wanted to laugh seeing the furious Shikamaru. "You don't have to tell me that. It's not like I don't know Ino."

"Please take care of her, okay?"

"Relax, Shikamaru. You don't have anything to worry about. Just do your best in your mission."

"I'm not sure whether I can do that…" Shikamaru closed his eyes, sighing in defeat. "How troublesome…"

"Man…you really are sick!" A menacing laugh finally came out of Chouji's mouth. "Seriously, buddy. So sick!"

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Okay, I have a poll for you guys. It's kinda stupid question but I need to know your opinion about this: _

_Would you want me to finish this story..._

_a) according to __my__ original plot (twisted plot, lots of angst moments, lots of chapters –meaning long story, unpredictable ending)_

_b) according to what __you__ want (straightforward plot, lots of sweet-sweet moments, lack of chapters –meaning short story, predictable/typical ending)_

_Just put your answer in your review, simply type __**a**__ or __**b**__. This is just a poll. I may finish this story according to the votes I get (if many choose a, then a is the ending. If many choose b, then b is the ending) or simply my mood. Depends. Just one thing, if you guys really, really understand me, then you must know what kind of ending will it be for this story –winks- And please include your vote in your review __**for this chapter only**__. So vote right!_

_And one more thing, I may not elaborate more on Ino's mission. I'll keep it as simple as possible. Writing about ninja mission and battles are such a drag – groans –_

_Just what __**tomboy14**__ requested, this time I granted y'all…_

_A ticket for a date with Shikamaru or Ino (woohoo!!) for:_ Nemrut, eiirisa, NazaliaSan, kunoichihinata14, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, Iliada, Lechu, Lady Kenley, TroublesomeShikamaru, angel0fdestiny, Wings-chan, Gonrie, aki-child, Angeleyes1994, Sasukes-girl08, Ebil Chameleon, XenaiiTwilightMoon, StarryRavenFire, Airotia, Desert Mortician, solitarywarrior, Khlove, Tiernan Hunter, imgonnadie, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, Shikamaru2211, Elsie-neechan, DesertCat, Kenzie493, burnstar, Sakura12, tomboy14, Narutard Kiba, Lady0Kagura, Dani Casster, SonOfKakashi and padoopadoop.

_Hope the date will be pleasant –smiles – And thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	13. Turning Point

_A/N: Thank you so much for the voting, minna! Many of you chose _a_, so _a _the ending will be! (I was hoping for it to be picked, lol) But some of you picked _b_, so I thought the _b_ "community" couldn't be ignored so… (take a deep breath, you guys!) I'm gonna give you some credits, too! Guess what? I'll do both! – squeals – But I'm not sure whether to do the _b_ separately or mix it with _a_. Time will tell._

_This chapter is dedicated to __aki6__for being my 400th reviewer for __I'm Sorry, Shikamaru.__ Cheers!!! (Gomen, no dedication for the 300th reviewer –sorta missed it)_

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**Chapter 13: Turning Point**

It had been two weeks since Ino left for her mission and during that period, Sakura was really, really worried about her. She wondered what took Ino so long to finish the spying mission. Was the mission really tough? Was it hard for Ino to figure out the mole among the six suspects? Was Suna really help, most importantly, protect Ino in any means? Did they treat her right? Those unanswered questions filled Sakura's head in and out over and over again, almost giving her a headache.

_Shannaro!_ She grimaced. _No matter how important the mission is to Suna, it isn't supposed to be _this_ long! _

And what feared Sakura the most was this question: Did any of them already knew that Ino was carrying a child?

Somehow, it was not impossible.

One more question perturbed Sakura's mind. Since her encounter with Shikamaru on the day Ino left, she never stopped wondering…

Why didn't Ino tell Shikamaru she was leaving?

Sakura still remembered the expression Shikamaru bored the moment she break the news that her shishou had assigned Ino a mission. A solo mission, a spying mission. A mission that ranked at least B, simply say, a dangerous mission. The usually calm, I-don't-give-a-damn-about-troublesome-things lazy expression darkened with rage in a blink of eyes. Silent storm clouded his head and as expected, BAM! The lazy Nara exploded.

Shikamaru desperately wanted to go after Ino but good thing Sakura was fast in handling his temper. Following her better judgment, Sakura relayed in full details how pursuing Ino could affect their big secret and it took a lot of effort to convince the guy that Ino will do just fine in her mission. Shikamaru surrendered to her opinion at last but the look of perturbed never left his face and Sakura knew that deep down inside, he was all torn up.

Sakura expected Shikamaru to come and bug her about the pursuit the next day but much to her surprise, he didn't show up. He probably had calm down or just too lazy, or maybe he got busy with the Chuunin exam and stuff. She, however, had come across Shikamaru the day after that and she swore that his expression was as sullen as ever. Dark shadows lingered under his eyes and he looked like he hadn't sleep for a year. He was also a bit moody and tended to get angry so easily. Oh, Ino was going to receive a pretty fatal blow of his rage once she come back, for not breathed him a word about her mission.

But since a week ago, Konoha seemed to miss the one lazy chuunin and it was then Sakura found out that her shishou had assigned Shikamaru a mission. Somehow, the lack of the couple's presence in Konoha made Sakura able to breathe a little bit freely, without worrying much about the _explosion_ once the two will finally meet eye to eye. But being such a caring friend, Sakura couldn't ditch her wariness about Ino's condition. Ino's pregnancy had come to the final month of the first trimester, where the most critical time just begun. If Ino was to lose her baby around this period, actually it was quite a relief rather than to lose the baby in her second trimester because the risk of losing the baby in month four or five of pregnancy could easily affect the mother's life. Besides, the bond between mother and child probably wasn't strong enough, so Ino wouldn't feel so heartbroken.

Sakura just hoped that Ino will do her best in her mission and came home uninjured, safe and sound.

Which later, will lead the three of them; she, Ino and Shikamaru into another tight situation; the time where Ino's belly come to show.

_Shikamaru, you better come up with a brilliant resolve!_ Sakura sighed, throwing her gaze around her surrounding. Her small apartment was like a mini clinic, with lots of fresh medicinal herbs stacked on a table for research, complete clinical equipments, books and scrolls for reference and lots, lots more. Strong smell of mixed antiseptic and medicines filled the whole room, leaving no musky scent of home in space. Like Ino, Sakura also had moved out of her parents' house at the age of sixteen and lived her own. She rented a small apartment far at the edge of Konoha, so that it was easy for her to obtain the plants she needed for medical research; because the forest was just around, and also her place was near to the hospital.

Sakura rose from the chair she was sitting and went to the research table and continued her earlier doing but after a few minutes, she stopped again and threw her hands at both sides in exasperation. She didn't have the heart to do something serious; when her mind was still full of Ino and the _problem_. She was worried of the future. _What will happen when the pregnancy was finally revealed? _

The roseate-haired lady approached her window and looked outside. It was dark; of course because the sun already set almost one hour ago. The streets were less busy than during day time. Everybody had returned to their own house and family to have meal together.

But not Ino.

Sakura sighed again, deciding instead of thinking hard about her best friend who only made her head hurt, she better think about what to eat for dinner.

She fell into a deep thought once again.

However, the sudden knocking or rather _banging_ on her front door snapped her out of reverie and turned her to wonder. Sakura frowned as she made her way to the door. _Who possibly come – _Her thoughts trailed away as the person behind the door was revealed.

The face really shocked the hell out of her.

"Ino!"

"Sakura, you gotta help me…" The blonde's face was troubled with worry and fear. She looked tired, her face was smudgy and her hair was quite unruly. Obviously Ino just came back from her mission.

"Sakura…" Her voice sounded like pleading. She was at the verge of breakdown. "Please… Help me…" Now Sakura noticed that Ino's face contained pain, too.

"What happen to you?" Sakura quickly ushered her best friend in and closed the door. "You look terrible. Is something wrong? Did you just come back?"

"Yeah, I just arrived…" Ino replied, lowering herself to the couch. One of her palms was resting on her stomach. She bit her bottom lip hard. "Do you have time? I need you to run a few tests on me _now_."

Sakura frowned, looking at the part Ino's hand lay. "Why? Does it hurt?"

Ino inhaled a tense breath. Tears dwelled in her eyes. She was trying her best not to cry. "I think something's wrong with my baby."

Goose bumps appeared on Sakura's neck. She froze for a second, registering Ino's words. _Holy crap!_ One of her fears… Will it come to surface?

"Sakura…"

"Yes… Yes of course, Ino!" Sakura stood up straight immediately and prepared all the things she needed. At last, she thought with sarcasm, her packed house finally serve its purpose. Sakura was thankful to have the equipments and necessary medicines ready, so that they wouldn't have to go all the way to the hospital and spontaneously blow their secret.

"So, how it'd go?" Ino asked worriedly once the tests was over.

Sakura didn't answer. Her jade eyes busily read the obtained result and her eyes grew bigger and bigger at each word. She stared at the paper in disbelief. Her intelligent brows knitted with concern and worry. Ino grew impatient. Silently she prayed for the best.

At last Sakura sighed heavily and threw her gaze at her nervous best friend. "Ino…" She said the name slowly, shaking her head.

Ino covered her mouth with her hands. Her big blue eyes grew wider. The tears she held were finally shed. Her body sank in bewilderment.

"Oh, no…"

**x**

"Hey, Shikamaru…" Kiba called from the right, trying to keep his pace with the guy mentioned. "Slow down, will ya? We're going too fast."

Shikamaru grunted, ignoring the remarks. His gaze was fully set ahead, his mind intently fixed on coming back home. It had been seven days since he left Konoha for a troublesome mission, and now the mission was over, he was not going to waste even a second on the journey home. Just after their mission ended yesterday, his team had been on road non-stop, traveling in such rapid speed. They only stop for a quick break and little sleep. Shikamaru didn't even give his teammates to wash their exhaustion away. We could do it at home, he said.

Not that the three mind, actually they were eager to return home as soon as possible just like Shikamaru. But like Kiba mentioned earlier, indeed their team was going too fast. It was already dark, but they were still moving. Tiredness and hunger must get the best out of Kiba; the reason why he complained.

"I think we should stop," Tenten supported Kiba's words. It was all in her face that she felt the same way, too. Neji, though didn't say anything, truly agreed with the two's opinion.

"But we're close to Konoha now." Shikamaru still kept his speed. "Soon we'll arrive –"

"But I'm tired and hungry." Kiba protested. Akamaru barked, feeling the same. "And hell, I want to sleep so badly."

Then the brown-haired boy stopped his run and halted on a tree, breathing hard out of exhaustion. Akamaru obediently took a place beside his master. Kiba watched Tenten and Neji did the same and felt the some sort of relief, knowing the two actually shared the same feeling as him. It wasn't like they were disrespecting their team captain.

"Oi, Shikamaru!" Kiba whistled at the lazy chuunin. "How 'bout we rest here for the night?" Then without waiting for the answer, he hopped down to the forest floor along with Akamaru and began to clear up the place. Meanwhile, Tenten and Neji just stayed at their trees, waiting for Shikamaru's reaction.

When Shikamaru turned his back on them, a scowl was clearly written across his face.

"It's dark. We can't keep on moving." Tenten crossed her arms. "It's dangerous."

"Though Neji can see clearly with Byakugan!" Kiba added from below. "So, whaddya think, Shikamaru?"

Oh, why didn't Godaime assign him with Rock Lee?

"You guys are so troublesome…" Shikamaru hopped on a few branches, closing his distance with the three. He looked down to the place Kiba was clearing, analyzing the surrounding.

"It's safe." Neji confirmed. He had his Byakugan on. "From all directions."

"Hmm…" Shikamaru still wasn't sure. His heart screamed on going back home. But he was not a cruel team captain. He felt sorry for his tired subordinates, and though as much as he tried to deny the fact that he was, too, but his body betrayed him. A yawn escaped his lips, just enough sign for Tenten to move and help Kiba. The only female in the group joined her teammate clearing up the ground and soon, Shikamaru and Neji followed suit.

"Why'd you so eager to return?" Neji asked his captain (though he was the jounin in the group but Tsunade valued Shikamaru's captaincy skills more) once dinner long past his stomach. He and Shikamaru took the first watch and gave Kiba and Tenten the chance to sleep early.

Shikamaru grunted, throwing a small branch into the fire. "No reason. I just feel like it."

Neji smirked. His white eyes allowed him to see more than "just feel like it". He knew Shikamaru was lying. His lazy face showed it all. There must be some troublesome thing worth his time.

"If we keep on moving, surely we'll reach Konoha by midnight," the lazy chuunin voiced his heart out. Shikamaru was really restless; he couldn't stop thinking about Ino.

About her mission, her whereabouts right now, her condition, their baby…

All that made his head spinning.

"It's only half-day to Konoha," Neji suddenly spoke. "We'll arrive shortly before noon if we fast enough. And if there's no problem in the middle of our journey – of course."

_Oh, I'll make sure…_ Shikamaru gritted his teeth. _How troublesome…_

**x**

"Can I stay at your place for the night?"

Sakura knitted her brows. Her stare fixed on the teary-face in front of her. "Why?"

"I don't want to see Shikamaru…" Ino whispered. "I know he'll be at my house, waiting for my return…"

"Shikamaru's on a mission." Sakura quickly cut her best friend's words. "It's been a week. Don't worry about bumping into him."

"Is that so…" Ino nodded slowly. She was in a deep thought. Sakura's curiosity level reached the highest peak. She shot a questioning gaze at Ino.

"Is there something wrong with you two? Something I didn't know? You're not fighting with each other, are you?"

"No…" Ino replied bluntly, brushing the last tear out of her eyes. "No, nothing's wrong…"

"But you didn't tell him you were leaving…" Sakura noticed Ino stiffened at her remark. The blonde avoided her gaze and played with the ends of her ponytail. "Don't tell me that you _failed_ to find him that day –"

"We just have a little _misunderstanding_," Ino interrupted.

"Misunderstanding? But I thought you and Shikamaru got along really well…" Sakura thought about Ino's shyness and Shikamaru's wariness. Surely those emotions had something to do with each other.

"I thought so until that day… I found him alright – just in time I heard him talking about me, about something unpleasant, bad…" Ino rolled her eyes, quickly relaying the painful conversation in full details briefly to Sakura, who had her eyes grew bigger and bigger at each of her word.

"Shikamaru thought of you _that_ way?" The pink-haired kunoichi gasped in doubt.

"That's what I heard." Ino bit her bottom lip. "He seriously broke my heart, Sakura."

"But it's unbelievable!" Sakura exclaimed. "When I told him that you left Konoha for a mission, he was really, really worried about you! He wanted to go after you, you know! _Desperately_ wanted to go after you! Honestly I think, for Shikamaru you're not a troublesome woman! You're someone he really cares about!"

"I know he cares about me," the blonde snapped. The scene revived in her memory once again. Ino felt her blood boiled with anger. "But he doesn't want to marry me, Sakura. He told Chouji that. There's no way could've lied to Chouji. He hates _me_; the troublesome _Yamanaka Ino_."

"No, he didn't." Sakura voiced her opinion slowly. "I think he loves you…"

"_Love_ me?!" Ino chuckled cynically. "Ha! Like hell I believe that!"

"But I believe so!" Sakura insisted. "You should see his face, Ino! He was panicked, so mad, so, so worried when he heard about your mission! He even thought about requesting to be your mission's back-up! He wanted to protect you so badly!" The blue eyes were still cold. "It's all in his eyes that he loves you so much, Ino!"

"Whatever…" Ino spoke the word with full attitude. She was tired of arguing with Sakura and decided to draw herself out. "What I know; Shikamaru didn't want to marry me whether or not I'm pregnant with his child, not in this lifetime and I'm sure not in other life, too. Just because of I'm troublesome and too _pretty_."

"But Ino-"

"Say no more, Sakura." Ino waved her hand. Her gaze was a bit distant and empty. "Whatever it is, it won't change a thing. Not that it matter anymore."

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_(runs away) I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say, I have nothing to say!! Except… _

"_Any regret?"_

_A chance to kiss Shikamaru or Ino (just one kiss! And on the __cheek__ only!) for:_ burnstar, AlmondBlossom, -'-'ShikaXIno Lover 4ever'-'-', aki-child, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, x0x, cherry, sunshine60, Lechu, riptocs, Wings-chan, TheMusicAddict, Nazalia-san, Amiee15, sugarmonkey778, Sasukes-girl08, XenaiiTwilightMoon, emi-chan03, Troublesome beauty, Khlove, Cpplink, Desert Mortician, Ali, tomboy14, Flaming Beauty, MayumiNorika, Ebil chameleon, anime09, FallenXPoptart13, Momo ninja, BloodyMaerry, imgonnadie, idk, kunoichihinata14, Fire-Shadow-Ice, Nami-chan, Spread-My-Wings-And-Soar, Elsie-neechan, AcidicParanoia, jHeyTTernallie, NarutoFanatic, mia14conchelez, DemonLoulou, Narutard Kiba, gaara luver, StarryRavenFire, Endless Snow, Nemrut, Tiernan Hunter, solitarywarrior, gladdecease, IluvJesus123, TroublesomeShikamaru, Gonrie, Crimson Romance, isamandy327, smiling cat, Alcherelf, 3's A Team, Dani Casster, Sakura12, AniMeViEtGrl, kemiztri, Airotia, Shikamaru2211, UglyXXDuckling, aki6, ness345, T-Rexx, NeJi.KaKaShI.GaArA Lover, Shera-girl, alexsan, cherry, ursan-canine, Adeya, Lady Kenley, Frozen Tempest and Seanshine.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	14. Paranoia

**Chapter 14: Paranoia**

"What did you mean _not that it matter anymore_?" Sakura quickly rose from her seat and marched to Ino, who was still sitting on the couch. "Of course it matters! Your child needs a father! You can't just ditch Shikamaru and his responsibility just like that!"

Ino groaned, annoyed. What Sakura said was obviously right.

**x**

_Some moments earlier…_

"Is there spotting or bleeding?" asked Sakura as she walked to her medical spot far at the corner of her living room. She rumbled through the messy things on her desk, finding a certain object.

"No…"

"Even a little?"

"Nothing at all." Ino confirmed. However, she looked very worried.

"How about pain or cramping?"

"None."

"Still feeling nauseous?"

"Oh, yeah… A little bit." Ino rolled her eyes, slightly sighing. "Not to mention dizziness, tiredness and…and my breasts are swelling!"

Sakura smiled a little. Somehow, Ino's words cut her worries into half. Ino didn't show any signs of having a miscarriage. "Well, that's good to hear," the pink-haired kunoichi spoke in return. "Why are you so worried about?"

"Oh, I don't know…" A surge of relief seeped into Ino's heart hearing Sakura's remark, seeing her smile. "I just…worried, you know. I don't want to lose my baby…"

"Why? Something bad happen in your mission?"

"No…" Ino frowned, remembering the past events. "But I was attacked during my journey home."

Sakura lifted her face in shocked. She stared at Ino. "You were attacked?" The blonde nodded.

"Are you alone?"

"No…" Ino replied bluntly. "Temari was with me. She escorted me back, but only as far as the nearest village." Ino caressed her bare stomach lovingly. "Thieves attacked us midway. There were four of them and although Temari blew them away with her fan, however they managed to land a few attacks on us. Barely fatal, but I'm still worried." Ino fixed her gaze on Sakura. "That's why after handing the report to Tsunade-sama I came to see you straightaway."

Sakura nodded knowingly. "Good. That's what you should do in the first place. Besides, I don't have the chance to check on you the day you left for your mission." She finally found the object of her searching, a thing Ino didn't recognize and walked back to her. "Okay! First of all, I need you to lay on something flat," she instructed, starting the check-up. "No, not the couch!" Sakura quickly stopped the blonde from laying on it and grabbed her arm led her into the bedroom instead. Sakura pointed at her bed. "Just lay there."

Ino shot a quizzical look but complied anyway. When she first asked Sakura to run a few tests on her, she had no idea that one of them could be like that. "What's that?" She asked about the thing Sakura held.

"This?" Sakura swung the object. "It's a speculum."

"What's it for?" Ino knitted her eyebrows as she lay down.

"For the test," Sakura simply replied. "Oh, don't lay just yet, Ino! You need to take off your skirt and panties first."

"Excuse me?!" From worried, Ino turned anxious. "You ask me to take off my skirt and panties?"

"Yes." Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes.

"But why?!"

"Duh… Because you asked me to run a few tests on you!"

"But do I have to take off my skirt for that?" Ino frowned, slowly stood up but did nothing. She looked at Sakura curiously. "I thought you just need my blood or urine or something! Like last time!"

"Physical examination first, lab tests later." Sakura explained, sighing.

"But why?!"

Sakura rolled her eyes again. "Look, if physical examination shows that your baby is okay, then we doesn't have to run the lab tests. It's faster and easier. Though the ultrasound test is much better, we don't have the technology here."

"But it's embarrassing!" Ino still refused.

"What's so embarrassing about?" Sakura half laughed. "It's not like I never seen anything like _that _before! I mean…I own _it_, too!"

But Ino remained furious and serious. Her face was red. "Yeah, I know but the thought of having my best friend stare at my thing is…gross!"

"I'm not going to stare! I'm going to check your baby!"

"But –"

"No buts." Sakura glared. "Now take off your skirt and get down, so I could do my work."

"And what are you going to do?" Ino asked worriedly. "Put that thing inside me? No way!"

"I'm not going to hurt you. Relax, Ino!" Sakura stood with her hands on hips. "Now do you want to know whether your baby's safe or not?"

"Of course I do…" Ino bit her bottom lip.

"So do what I say."

It took Ino a few minutes more to think and later complied with Sakura's order. For someone who really cared about the living thing lived in her belly, surely Ino would give anything just to keep her baby safe and unharmed. So, following Sakura's order was the best damn decision she ever made. Ino stripped her skirt and panties very slowly, shakily, all the time her face was sour as lemon, and lay down.

When Sakura bent low with the speculum in her hand and started to take a look inside her vagina, Ino quickly covered her face with her hands.

"Oh, my goodness…" She softly moaned, frustrated with the way the test going. "This is so embarrassing…" And she just came back from mission and hadn't even taken a bath yet.

"You shut up." Sakura replied with her face straight. Carefully and expertly, she inserted the speculum and spread the walls of Ino's vagina apart so she can look right at the mouth of Ino's womb and examined the fetus' condition.

"Hurry…" Ino could feel the cool metal device brushing her insides lightly. "It's not comfortable, you know…"

Sakura didn't give any response to her best friend's moans and groans of protest as she deepened her concentration on the test. And finally, after Ino making some uncomfortable whimpers of embarrassment, Sakura pulled the speculum out.

"Is it over?" Ino asked, opening an eye.

"Yeah." Sakura smiled a little. "You baby's fine. I see no blood or clots present, which indicates that you're not having a miscarriage at all."

"Really?" Ino looked unsure.

"Yeah."

"So…it's over?" Sakura nodded. "I mean, the whole test is over?"

"Yeah. You can go home if you like."

"But…don't you have to run the lab test for me?"

"Ino…" Sakura stared at the worried young expecting mother. "Your baby's _fine_. In about six months, you'll give birth to a healthy baby for sure."

"Are you sure my baby's still breathing?"

"Yeah –"

"Even so, I still want you to run the lab test for me!" The blue eyes insisted. "I'm still worried!"

Sakura gave a hollow grumble. "Can't you just trust me?"

"Please, Sakura…"

A heavy sigh escaped Sakura's lips. "You're so – never mind. Geez… Okay. Fine. Just give me a minute to prepare the things we need." She marched back to her medical spot while Ino put on her panties and skirt back to place and sat on the couch.

"Do you need my blood or urine or something?" Ino asked. Sakura nodded.

"So, how did it go?" Ino asked worriedly once the tests was over.

Sakura didn't answer. Her jade eyes busily read the obtained result and her eyes grew bigger and bigger at each word. She stared at the paper in disbelief. Her intelligent brows knitted with concern and worry. Ino grew impatient. Silently she prayed for the best.

At last Sakura sighed heavily and threw her gaze at her nervous best friend. "Ino…" She said the name slowly, shaking her head.

Ino covered her mouth with her hands. Her big blue eyes grew wider. The tears she held were finally shed. Her body sank in bewilderment.

"Oh, no…"

Involuntarily, Sakura rolled her eyes. Really, Ino was a drama queen.

"For Heaven's sake, Ino…" The pink-haired medic-nin waved the paper in her hand. "You're just being too paranoid."

**x**

Shikamaru let his gaze lingered to the shadows danced in front of him, created by the fire. Though it seemed like the shadows got all his undivided attention, actually, in his eyes he saw nothing. Except…

A certain blue-eyed, blond-haired female, looking so sweet and innocent sleeping in his arms.

"You should get some sleep," suddenly Neji spoke, breaking his thoughts away. "You look exhausted. I'll be on watch by myself. It's fine."

Without thinking, Shikamaru manipulated the shadows. "I'm not tired at all."

"Oh, really?" Neji asked amusedly. "Cause your face says so."

"It's cold." Shikamaru mumbled. "I can't sleep." Neji raised a brow at his remark, seeing Shikamaru was the closest to the fire. But then he shrugged to himself, knowing that his captain's mind was rather fried right at that moment. _Something must be bugging him_, he concluded.

Shikamaru unbind his shadow and hugged his knees, eyes fixed on the flickering flames.

_When I come back, I'll see you straight away… _He began making plans. He wasn't sure whether Ino had returned from her mission but he just hoped for the best. He was torn between wanting her to be at home when he got back, or still on mission. If Ino was already home, then it would prove that her mission was a success and she was safe and unharmed. But that also gave Shikai Hajime's marriage proposal to reach her ears. And when Ino saw the amazing face of his rival, then probably she…

Shikamaru groaned out loud. His head was spinning.

_I'll propose, I promise. Just please say yes to me, Ino…_

**x**

"No." Ino stubbornly refused, denying her best friend's words. "It really doesn't matter anymore, Sakura."

Sakura groaned, annoyed with Ino's childish theatrics. "You and Shikamaru," she stated. "Are kind of _involved_ now, you know what I mean? Even though it's not like a couple thing, but both of you are the parents. Shikamaru fathered your child, Ino. That makes him unofficially your _husband_, a part of your life."

"He doesn't want to marry me." The blonde objected.

"I know." Sakura let out a heavy sigh. The air was getting tense each second. It was suffocating inside the house. A debate, or rather argument with Ino was surely endless. "But he's a smart guy. Soon he'll get on his head, drag his lazy butt and ask your hand in marriage."

"Oh, _wow_… That's a _miracle_, Sakura." Ino mocked, cynically.

"But it's possible!" Sakura insisted.

"Maybe…" Ino rolled her eyes. "Or maybe not. I know perfectly well how Shikamaru is, Sakura. I knew him since I was a little kid, long before I met you. I know his likes and dislikes, what turns him on, what ticks him off, I knew everything. He _hates_ troublesome things and always tries his best to _avoid_ them in all costs." Ino pointed at herself. "_I_ am the _most troublesome_ of all. He hates me, obviously. I bug him _a lot_. He wouldn't want to share his life with me, period."

"But he really, really, _really_ cares about you…" Sakura eagerly insisted.

"I'm his childhood friend, an ex-teammate. _Of course_ he cares about me." Ino gritted her teeth. Her tears threatened to go out once again. Everything Shikamaru said about her that day on the rooftop echoed in her ears more loudly than before. She was reminded how stupid she was for putting the faith in him whilst he never bothered to touch the subject of marriage. "If he wants to marry me, _if_ marriage ever crosses his mind, then he'll say it right on the spot, the moment I break the news that I'm pregnant with his child. But he never said that, never brought that up."

"Maybe he doesn't know what to do in the first place. Guys usually panic when they're not ready, Ino."

"Then maybe he's not the genius like he appears to be. He's so _stupid_."

"That's a cruel judgment, Ino." Sakura tried to cool her best friend down.

"He judged me first."

At last, the blonde resumed her walk and marched to the front door. "I'm tired." She announced, pausing at the doorframe to look at the pink-haired medic-nin. "I'm going home. Thanks for checking me."

As Ino turned to go, surprisingly a sentence came out of Sakura's mouth killed her steps.

"Tell me," her voice sounded eerie. "You like Shikamaru, don't you Ino?"

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_A love letter from Shikamaru/Ino for: _Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, StarryRavenFire, Khlove, kemiztri, DemonLoulou, angel0fdestiny, smiling cat, Lechu, Gonrie, sugarmonkey778, Wings-chan, Archerelf, NazaliaSan, Adeya, Sasukes-girl08, Ebil Chameleon, isamandy327, tomboy14, FallenXPoptart13, yuki, kunoichihinata14, Crimson Romance, XenaiiTwilightMoon, Cursed Dragon, TroublesomeShikamaru, MayumiNorika, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, Flaming Beauty, Sakura12, anime09, yanagiblossoms, Tiernan Hunter, Airotia, Elsie-neechan, aki-child, aki6, Saphire-Moon, Shikamaru2211, -quilotz-, Lady Kenley, Shera-girl, Miss Interpreted, Nami-chan, burnstar, x0x, gaara lover, Tears Of Hell 1428, Seanshine, AniMeVietGrl, Death.To. hanajimawashere, aizuhime, imgonnadie and SonOfKakashi.

_Thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter!_


	15. Pride and Prejudice

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to __Elsie-neechan__ for being my __500__th reviewer for __I'm Sorry Shikamaru__! Wow! Fourteen chapters and this story reached five hundreds? What can I say? You guys rock!!!_

_**

* * *

**_

**Chapter 15: Pride and Prejudice**

In a speed of sound, Ino spun and faced Sakura. "Of course I like Shikamaru, forehead!" She spoke out loud, almost yelling, didn't hesitate at all saying that. Her blue eyes burned with obvious certainty. She looked so sure of her remark.

"I mean, like him _like him_." Sakura smiled in mild amusement, explaining what she meant. The tensed atmosphere slowly faded away, as her question sparked a faint hint of blush to appear across Ino's pale, smudgy cheeks. _"__Really__ likes him."_

The blonde turned her body fully to Sakura, looking annoyed. Her hand was on a hip. "I _really_ like Shikamaru," she emphasized the second word with full attitude. "If that's what you want to hear."

"As in friends?" The pink-haired kunoichi leered, enjoying each second. "Or as in _more__ than friends?"_

Ino rolled her eyes. "Oh, please… don't ask me this…"

"Why? Because you doesn't have the answer?" Ino didn't reply. Sakura grinned. "Ah, so you like him."

"I don't see Shikamaru _that_ way!" Ino shrieked, stomping to her best friend and stood nose to nose with her.

"Oh?"

"Yeah!"

"Is that so, Ino-_pig_?"

"For Heaven's sake, that's what truly I feel, _forehead_-girl!" The two went back to their twelve-year old selves again, bickering about the names they called each other whenever they were on a roll for a fight or just some childish argument.

"I don't believe you." Sakura smirked. "If you don't have any feelings for him, then you wouldn't act this way."

Ino had her mouth gaped open. "What _way_?"

"Oh, like being _paranoid_ over the safety of your baby." Sakura mocked. "And being _so_ over protective."

"How could you say that to me?!" The blue gaze was burning. "Of course I was being paranoid and over protective! This is my kid we're talking about!"

"You mean Shikamaru's kid." Sakura corrected with a smile tugging her lips.

Ino groaned, rolling her eyes. "I mean _our_ kid."

"Aha."

"Well, it doesn't mean anything!"

"Oh, yes it means something. You treasure your baby so much because it's Shikamaru's. But what if the baby isn't his? What if the baby is someone else's? Say…Naruto? Kiba? Or Chouji? Would you be like that?"

"Sakura…" Ino shot a warning look.

"Would you keep the baby in the first place? Would you marry the guy who makes you pregnant?" The blonde turned silent, her eyebrows knitted in doubt. "Answer me, Ino."

Ino was unable to produce any answer immediately. What Sakura said made her speechless, tongue-tied. She frowned at her own feeling. Her heart was like a stormy sea, so full of uncertainties. Yeah, what if the situation she was in right now was not with Shikamaru? What if she was pregnant with Naruto's child? Kiba or Chouji? That thought made her stomach gurgled. Bile taste rose in her throat. Would she keep the baby? Would she _want_ to marry the father? Or would she get an abortion straightaway?

_No._ Ino shook her head. She will keep the baby no matter what. She wouldn't dare to kill a living thing inside of her, her own flesh and blood. And yes, she would expect a marriage just for the sake of her baby. But…

Once again, the thought of sharing the rest of her life with one of the three guys mentioned made her sick, especially sharing a bed and being in the man's arms every night.

Ino shuddered.

Not that she minded living with Chouji; she had known Chouji almost all her life, fairly like Shikamaru. But no matter what, she wouldn't be able to look at Chouji the same as she look at other guys. Chouji was dear to her heart and she loved him so much, but the love she felt was more like what a sister would feel for her brother. And she knew that Chouji returned the love just the same. Although among them three, if seen from the public's eyes she appeared much closer and easy-going with Chouji rather than Shikamaru, people won't, will never expect them to fall in love and get married one day. They just see that the future wasn't made for them.

And Naruto…though after all these years she had known him, still she couldn't accept that the grown-up blondie had finally become a man. With his sun-kissed skin, sunshine hair and sky blue eyes, Naruto was damned irresistible. From hated scrawny kid during their younger days, after years of training, Naruto finally able to erase some hatred the villagers harbored for him by becoming one of the prestigious and valuable Konoha ninjas. With all his charms and friendly nature, girls easily falling head over heels for him but not one Yamanaka Ino. For her, Naruto was still a boy and with the blonde's loudmouth, attitude and appearance that almost matched hers, secretly she acknowledged him as her little brother.

And Kiba, Kiba, Kiba… Ino never looked at the guy _that_ way. Sure, he too had become a hunk, but there was always something felt like missing whenever she was with the guy. They already went on a date twice, all accidentally and not planned, and though Ino enjoyed being with him, Kiba never gave her the _tingling_ feeling. He appeared as her casual friends and gradually they became closer and closer each days, but still the feeling wasn't mutual. What they had between them was just platonic relationship.

But Shikamaru…

Heck, she only saw him just the same as Chouji! So how come Shikamaru appeared _perfect_ in the picture of her future?!

Not that she had imagined of it, but the feeling appeared natural to her.

When she first found out that she was pregnant with Shikamaru's child, she was really, really scared. Truly. But somehow at the back of her mind she felt secured, like she didn't have to worry about it because she knew that Shikamaru will know what to do once he find out. And when she asked herself whether it was okay or not for her being the Nara's bride, inwardly, her heart didn't do somersault at all.

In what term she saw her relationship with Shikamaru? Was he just a friend? Or more than that? A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Ino paced back and forth in front of Sakura, sinking deep into a serious thinking. "Why are you asking me this, Sakura?" She looked at the girl helplessly. She still failed to register her own heart. "Why, all in a sudden?"

Sakura returned her stare, muted. It seemed like the whole space had turned into a grave zone once again. "Because…" Sakura answered slowly, making Ino fixed her eyes still at those jade. "I want you to forgive him – for breaking your heart and say rude things about you."

Ino said nothing.

"Give Shikamaru a second chance."

That sentence sent an electric shock to Ino's veins. "Second chance?!" She wailed. Her eyes were big.

"_Second chance."_

"Hell, _no_! Why should I?!!"

"Because your baby needs a father."

"Well, it doesn't have to be Shikamaru!" Ino protested stubbornly. "I mean, it's not like he's gonna marry me any second! He didn't want the baby in the first place! And he didn't want the mother, too!"

"That's why I said give him a second chance, Ino." Sakura advised patiently. "Don't be so prejudice. Do you want to stay unmarried until your baby is born?"

"Well, I could've married somebody else!" Ino hollered, her anger returned. "Somebody, anybody! At least there must be a guy out there who wants to marry me!"

"But they didn't know you're pregnant!" Sakura tried to get Ino out of her irrational thinking. "Can't you see that Shikamaru is the only guy for you?"

"But he –"

"– didn't want to marry you, I know." Sakura sighed. "You don't have to repeat it over and over again. I know, Ino. I know. But being paranoid over that fact will not make things any better."

Ino's face was red. "So you're on his side now, huh?"

"I am always on your side. Remember that." Sakura spoke carefully. "That's why I want to help you to go through this situation any way I can. Judging from my perspective, giving Shikamaru a second chance is the best start to solve this big problem."

"And how can that be? How this second chance is going to work?"

"By making him your legal husband."

"Duh…" Ino made a face.

"You gotta make him, you hear me?"

"Sakura, are you saying –" Ino studied her best friend's face with curious eyes.

"Yep." Sakura nodded.

The blue eyes bolted out. "No! No way!"

"That's the only way, Ino."

"Seriously, how could you think of that?" Ino wailed out of frustration. "There's no way in hell I propose to Shikamaru!"

"Look, if Shikamaru isn't going to do the proposal, then the job falls into your hand, Ino. A marriage is what you need, right?"

"Yes, but –"

"So propose. What's the big deal about that?"

"The big deal is I'm a girl!" Ino pointed at herself. "Girls don't do the proposal!"

"I know, I know…" Sakura sighed. "But this is the only way to get Shikamaru to marry you… Remember, you have to protect your honor, ensures your baby's surrounding… Think about all that. How are you going to live in here if you give birth to a baby without a husband? The society…they'll look at you differently. They'll think that –" Sakura halted, hoping that her next words didn't tear her best friend's heart. "– that you are such a bad girl. And how are you going to raise your child alone? Sorry to say but I don't think you could manage…"

"But after all he said about me," Ino stuck up her chin stubbornly. "I don't want to marry him."

"Ino, please don't be like this…"

"Well, what am I suppose to do?! Just ignore his talks and marry him?! No!!"

"Oh, come on…" Sakura was getting tired arguing with her bull-headed best friend. Ino was so difficult when it came to times like this. "It all just talks and you know it's silly, _rubbish_! Don't take it to heart seriously! You're used hearing Shikamaru talk to you like that. In fact, he does it all the time. Sure, it hurts but it didn't kill you, right?"

"But this time is different." Ino was almost in tears once again. "The way he talks about me makes me feel like I'm nothing to him, like…like I'm worthless, didn't deserve his time, his attention. Coming from someone who already had an intimate contact with me, it really kills, Sakura."

Sakura stiffened, like she had hit some sore spot. Now she remembered. Pregnant women tend to get emotional easily. And Ino absolutely was no exception.

"Okay, I understand. But can't you just forget about what he said and move on? Give him a second chance?"

"Sorry. I can't."

The pink-haired medic almost rolled her eyes. "Why?!"

"I just can't." Ino bit her bottom lip, looking deep into Sakura's green eyes. "You know me."

Her ego and her pride! Sakura nearly smacked herself. Of course! For someone who hardly say "I'm sorry", surely it was double hard for Ino to utter the simple "Marry me" to a guy who just tore her heart apart. And what made it worse, not only Ino was a proud woman, she was also a stubborn one. Nobody could change her mind once she made a decision.

"Okay." Sakura sighed as an idea popped into her. She didn't know whether it could work or not. All depend to Ino. "We use another way. You don't have to propose to Shikamaru." She took a good look on Ino's troubled face before blurting out her brilliant idea. "You can trick him into marriage."

"Trick him?" Ino said confusedly. "How?"

"By letting Tsunade-shishou know."

The blue eyes widened. "No! Absolutely no way, Sakura!" Ino quickly objected. "I cannot force Shikamaru to marry me like that! I want him to marry me out of his own will!"

"But this is the only way-"

"I know, but I don't want to!"

"Why?"

"Shikamaru won't be happy!"

"Why did you give so much damn about his feelings anyway?" Sakura was frustrated. She really didn't understand her blonde friend.

Involuntarily, Ino shut up. She looked at Sakura sharply with her angry and hurt eyes. "Because…" She spoke slowly as she realized what she was going to say. Oh, was this what she truly felt? Had she found the answer to Sakura's question earlier? About what she truly feel towards the famous, lazy chuunin? "I might…"

Sakura held her breath. Ino turned her gaze to somewhere else.

"Love him."

Sakura flashed a winning smile.

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Flying kiss from Shikamaru/Ino (sorry, I couldn't give the real kiss!) for:_ Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, aki-child, Seanshine, angel0fdestiny, kemiztri, kunoichihinata14, DemonLoulou, Lechu, x0x, BellaRose, -quilotz-, imgonnadie, TroublesomeShikamaru, NazaliaSan, Nami-chan, sugarmonkey778, tomboy14, Khlove, Shera-girl, Sasukes-girl08, Shikamaru2211, AMemoryThatFaded, Sakura12, ami, heartbreaker23, Frozen Tempest, yanagiblossoms, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, Elsie-neechan, AnimeFanatic223, burnstar, bookworm816, Wings-chan, Flaming Beauty, XenaiiTwilightMoon, UglyXXDuckling, StarryRavenFire, Hasamaki, you.broke.a.promise, Lady Kenley, aizuhime, suzako, Mango the Creep, 0oBurntToasto0, miwakochan, Dark-Neko-Priestess, Sakura Haruno, Sweet n Sour-shikaino- and The Reading Maid.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!!_


	16. Snapshots

_A/N: Oh! Has it been a month since my last update? I'm so sorry, everybody! I was quite busy with my training, report and stuff…but now that it's all over, I'm back on track! Yeah! Actually, in the midst of my busyness, I had written the sixteenth chapter of I'm Sorry, Shikamaru – almost eighty percent of it – but I'm not satisfied with my writing so I write it all over again. I'm sorry if this chapter is quite a filler. I know you guys were anxious to know the 'what will happen next' thing but I think that you would love to get in touch with the past. I just wanna portray some light stuff before I get into the heavy, dark and very angsty scenes. I made this chapter longer than usual to make it up. Hope you enjoy._

_Note: FYI, the timeline now is the middle of summer. Ino was about three months pregnant._

* * *

**Chapter 16: Snapshots**

_Two years ago_

"Ino, do you have time?"

The fifteen-year old blonde glanced up at the brunette her age that just walked into her family's flower shop. The bell on the door chimed the moment he opened the door and stepped inside, but she didn't really bother to land her gaze somewhere else. Her eyes were fixed intently on the glossy page of the newest _Kunoichi_ magazine she just bought a couple hours ago. She figured the person was just a regular customer.

But it wasn't. There in front of her stood her lazy teammate, a boy she had known almost all her life, Nara Shikamaru.

He was practically standing in front of her, the tall counter between them. Hands in his pockets, he was looking down at her with a look she couldn't decipher.

"Do you have time?" He asked again.

She lifted her chin up to meet his gaze, raising her eyebrows. "Now?"

"No. Tomorrow."

Curiosity seeped into her. Ino narrowed her eyes. "As a matter of fact, yes, I do have time – if there is no mission. Why?"

"Well," Shikamaru chewed the insides of his mouth before saying his next words with a thoughtful look. "I was wondering if you could help me out with something tomorrow."

"Help you out?" Ino half chuckled. More curiosity kicked in. Shikamaru rarely asked for her help if it wasn't for anything important or couldn't be done by himself. "And here I thought you were going to ask me out."

Shikamaru almost rolled his eyes at her remark. "Ask _you_ out? Please, I don't have to do that. We're practically together almost all the time. I feel like dating you my whole life."

"Strange… I feel the same way, too. Maybe you are the reason why boys never stick with me for long – aside of their fear for my dad. You are like my bodyguard. You hush them away."

"Are you complaining? Be grateful. At least I didn't charge you a ryou."

"Oh, just forget about it." Ino waved her hand. "So, why do you need my help?"

"I'm moving into my new apartment tomorrow. I just thought you could lend a hand or something."

"Sure. But why are you moving? And did your parents let you?"

"Why won't they?"

"You're only fifteen!"

"Nope. I'm practically sixteen now."

"But we haven't had our birthdays yet!"

"So?" Shikamaru leaned his body casually against the counter. "I'm big enough to conduct my own life. I work, and I have my own money. I just want to break free from the troublesome atmosphere at home and have fun with life."

"You mean you want to break free from your _mom_, right?" Ino popped her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her joined palms, gazing straight into Shikamaru's brown eyes. "Oh, come on, Shikamaru! Your mom is a nice woman! I like her!"

"She's nice when it comes to other people but me and my dad." Shikamaru sighed. "She always bugs me into doing troublesome stuff…"

"That's because you're too lazy to do things on your own, you bum! You need somebody like her to remind you, to tell you what to do all the time." Ino shook her head helplessly.

"Right. That's why you are here."

* * *

"This is so awesome!" Ino exclaimed excitedly, looking around at the surrounding. Shikamaru's apartment was small and a little bit cramped, but it was cozy and comfortable enough for her taste. She fell in love with it the first moment she saw it. The walls were painted in nice beige color to match the floor and the view from the window was magnificent. But what made the place more incredible was the smell of freedom. "It makes me want to live on my own, too!"

"Trust me, your dad won't allow you." Shikamaru said in his casual tone, relaxing himself on the couch.

Ino ignored him. She turned to Chouji who was just opening his bag of chips. The two of them were helping Shikamaru earlier; Chouji helped moving the boxes, she helped clearing the place out. "What do you think, Chouji?"

"It's nice. But I prefer living with my family." He spoke through munching. "I rather choose my stomach over my freedom."

"How original." Ino muttered. "Unlike you, I wanna live on my own."

"Then you gotta start begging for daddy's approval, Ino." Shikamaru smirked. "Though I prefer you live with your parents. You know my mom will nag me about watching you all the time and your father is gonna torture me about keeping you safe if that thing is bound to happen."

"Well," Ino returned the smirk and the words he had given her a day before. "That's why you are here, right?"

_A month after their sixteenth birthday_

"Shikamaru, do you have time?"

* * *

_One year ago_

"So what's for dinner tonight?"

Ino practically had her jaw dropped hearing the voice. Not again. It was the umpteenth time Shikamaru visited her since she occupied the empty apartment two doors from his just in time for dinner. _That bum_, she thought as she turned around to see the said male waltzed into the kitchen with such a carefree look on his face. _He must've been lazy to fix his meal again…_

"Oh, please. _Not again_, Shikamaru."

"Not what, Ino?" His steps fell behind her. Shikamaru peered through her shoulder, looking to what she was cooking. "Mmm… Nice smell."

"I'm not your chef," Ino eyed him from the corner of her eyes. "Stop coming in and out like my house is a free restaurant. It's not."

Shikamaru pouted, which Ino found oddly cute. "But it's troublesome to prepare dinner and all that stuff." He mumbled.

"You can always take takeaway meals." Ino frowned at him as if saying, "You're not that stupid, aren't you?"

"I prefer homemade meals more."

"Then what's the point in living on your own when you couldn't cook your own meals?" Ino sighed. She was about to suggest him to go back to his parents' house when Shikamaru retorted.

"Well, it's not like I don't have anybody to cook for me," he replied innocently. "I have you."

Ino almost rolled her eyes. "Right. So tell me, Shikamaru. What part did I play in your life? Your _mommy_?"

"Not quite but almost."

"Very funny. It's not my job to take care of you, you know." She shot a pointed look. "I hope you get the message. You know where the door is."

"Don't worry, Ino. I promise I'll be out of your hair right after the meal."

A scowl. "I'm cooking for one."

"Well…" Shikamaru shrugged easily. "You don't eat that much, do you?"

* * *

_Ten months ago_

"What are you doing here?"

A grin tugged Ino's lips as she glanced over her shoulder to see the owner of that annoyed voice. Shikamaru was standing in front of his bedroom door, having just stepped out of the shower. He wore nothing but sweatpants, his skin was still glistening with droplets of water. Out of the blue, her heart skipped a beat. She was not prepared of that sight, really. Being alone with a half-naked man far from her parents prying eyes was completely out of her expectations.

Shikamaru walked to the suddenly turned quiet blonde, drying his wet hair with a towel. He casually dropped his body to sit beside her. "How did you get in?"

"The door's unlocked." Ino shifted a little to increase the space between them. Somehow she didn't feel comfortable with their close proximity.

"Oh." Shikamaru sounded a little irritated at her presence there. It seemed like he was in a foul mood. "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm bored."

"Then do some girls stuff."

"Crashing at your place sounds more fun." Ino tried to lighten up the atmosphere by sounded a little cheery.

But Shikamaru was still sullen as ever.

"Hey, what's up?" Ino eyed him curiously. "Don't like me crashing at your place? Fine, I get the message. I'll go –"

"No, it's not that." His face softened. "You know you're always welcome here, Ino. It's just…I'm a bit tired tonight so…" He sighed. "I guess I couldn't keep up with any of your troublesome rants –" Ino poked his ribs. "Uh, I mean…if there's anything you want me to do…"

"Oh, shut it. I came here not to ask you to do something. All I want is company. I was awfully bored being alone at home."

"Is that so? Well, that's good." Shikamaru yawned. Just then Ino realized that he looked very, very exhausted. "But there's nothing fun you can do here, I'm afraid."

"We could always talk."

"About what?"

"Well, anything!" Ino gave up her seat and went to sit on the floor so that Shikamaru could take all the spaces on the couch, enough for him to lie down and tame his tiredness.

"Okay…" Shikamaru stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. Ino inched closer to the couch and leaned on it, facing him. "Well, today I taught the kids about chakra manipulation and guess what? Konohamaru along with Udon and Moegi showed up at the end of the class and caused a riot…"

* * *

_Seven months ago_

"You gotta be kidding us, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru sounded furious.

"Yeah." Ino agreed. Her expression was similar to Shikamaru's. "I mean, there's no way we

could carry this mission –"

"– and complete it to success." Shikamaru butted her words. "I mean, the whole thing is just –"

"– ridiculous." Ino finished.

"Yeah." Shikamaru nodded.

Konoha's Fifth Hokage paid no attention to their melodramatic protests. She leaned back and crossed her hands under her breasts, lifting eyebrows and spoke, "Done complaining?"

Shikamaru and Ino exchanged a glance then quickly, Ino turned to face the Hokage again. "No, it's not like we're complaining, Tsunade-sama but –"

"– we're not sure whether this mission suits us."

"Because you see, this mission requires us to act as a married couple as our disguise and –"

"– in order to get that information, I'm pretty sure that some intimacy needs to be shown –"

"– and we're certainly couldn't do that."

Tsunade narrowed her gaze. "And why is that?"

"Because we're just friends!" Ino answered, almost insisted the same time Shikamaru uttered, "We're like brother and sister."

Shizune quickly interrupted before Tsunade leash her rising anger. "But you're both chuunin and this mission is literally simple so I guess there is no problem. You don't have to flash out the intimacy if you don't want to."

"Right. Because we're not comfortable with that." Ino let out a sigh.

"Geez… Why don't you just give this mission to some ninja couples?" Shikamaru muttered without naming a few. "I'm sure they'll be glad –" A sharp glare from Godaime herself cut his statement.

"Report as soon as you come back." Without looking at the two scowling chuunins, Tsunade reached a new scroll and waved her hand. "Dismissed."

She really didn't understand why the grown-up teenagers made such a fuss about that mission.

* * *

_Six months and two weeks ago_

"Honestly, Shikamaru… I don't wanna go on mission alone with you ever again." Ino stuck up her nose. They were on their way back to Konoha after completed their two-man team mission in Wave Country. "I prefer being paired up with other people like Kiba or Shino rather than you."

Shikamaru scowled. "I was thinking of the same thing. Go on a mission with Sakura or Hinata sounds much better."

"Oh, gosh… This is so awkward." Ino covered her face with her hands. "I never thought that you would be my first kiss!"

"Well, it's not like I could do anything!" Shikamaru spat. "I had to kiss you that time otherwise we'll blown up our cover! And just so you know, it was my first kiss, too!"

"So what are we going to do?"

"Just forget about it. It's not like you're gonna get pregnant with just a kiss, right?"

Ino snorted. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But it still feels awkward."

"You'll get used to it."

"I'll get used to it?! Are you suggesting we do it again?!!"

* * *

_Five months ago_

"Are the rumors true?"

Shikamaru looked up from his dinner to the face of Ino. "What rumors?"

"Oh, you know." Ino answered lightly, poking the vegetables in her plate with her fork. "The one that says you're seeing someone from Suna. Is it true?"

"I'm seeing someone from Suna? Oh! You mean…Temari?"

Ino pointed. "That's the name!"

Shikamaru shrugged, answering easily, "Nope. I'm not seeing her. Why?"

"Uh, people talked. I heard you two are so awfully close, always spending time together every time she comes here…"

"Don't ever listen to gossip, Ino." An annoyed look was plastered on Shikamaru's face. "Spending time together doesn't mean that we're seeing each other. I'm her guide, of course I should be with her all the time."

"So does that mean the rumor is false?"

"Obviously."

"Okay." Ino nodded and continued her eating.

Shikamaru leaned back in his chair, keeping his stare at the blonde. "Why did you ask? Does it matter if I'm seeing her?"

Ino quickly looked up, alarmed. "Uh, no, no! I just want to make sure whether the rumors are true or not. Because if it's true that you're dating her, it's not good for us to meet regularly like this."

"Why?"

"She'll get jealous. Who knows?"

"Tch. That's not going to happen. Dating her, that is. It's too troublesome, she's too troublesome." Shikamaru quickly added. "Same as you."

"Hey!" Ino glared.

"Relax, Ino. I'm just kidding!" Shikamaru raised his hands in defense, half-laughing. "By the way, there's something I want to ask you, too."

"What is it?"

"Are you going out with Kiba?"

"What?! Me?" Ino pointed at herself. "Going out with Kiba? Where the hell did you get that from?"

"I saw you two together the other day. On a date, perhaps?"

The blonde frowned, recollecting the scenes she had with Kiba. "Oh, you mean that day?" She exclaimed out loud. "Yeah, it's a date." She confirmed, not going to elaborate any details. "But it's just an accidental date. Long story. You don't wanna know."

"So I assume you're not going out with anybody in particular at the moment?"

"That's correct. Why?" Shikamaru shrugged, not answering. "Does it matter to you if I had a boyfriend?"

"Does it matter to you if I had a girlfriend?" The question was shot right back at her. Ino shook her head after a minute of thinking, and so did Shikamaru.

"No, I guess it doesn't matter at all."

* * *

_Three months ago_

"No, Ino!" Sakura stopped the blonde from reaching another bottle of sake by grabbing her best friend's shoulders and dragged her out of her seat. "You're drinking too much. I guess you should stop now and go home." Ino mumbled in protest but Sakura ignored her. She mouthed the half-drunk Inuzuka, "Get Shikamaru. He should stop drinking. And you should, too."

"Geez… It's only a few glasses, Sakura." The lazy bum complained. His cheeks were a bit red from alcohol but he was absolutely tipsy. "I'm not drunk yet."

"Good." Sakura shoved Ino's limp body into Shikamaru's arms as the guy rose from his seat. "Because you're going to take Ino home."

"Whaattt???" Shikamaru groaned as he caught Ino. "Why don't you take her home yourself?"

"Because I need to take care of these two." Sakura pointed at her teammates. "Especially him." She went to Naruto and grabbed the blonde's collar, bringing him to stand. "Goodness, Naruto… You drank too much." Naruto laughed, hugging Sakura while mumbling something incoherent. Sakura ignored him and turned to the handsome brunette, who was still drinking his sake steadily, showing no sign of drunkenness. "Are you alright, Sasuke-kun? You're not drunk, are you?"

"No." His cheeks were pale as ever. His sharp black gaze was studying the crazy atmosphere around him. The rookie nine minus Chouji were all gathered together to celebrate the Sakura festival. They went sight-seeing soon after the festival began, browsing the stalls lined up the street that offered various kinds of merchandise to buy, fooling around with the other colleagues found, playing some games; the males tried to win some fluffy toys for the females and such, and lastly, hanging out at a sake shop located at the edge of the street, waiting for midnight to approach.

Neji had showed up to pick Hinata soon after the fireworks and Shino had excused himself to go home early, leaving the six teenagers; Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba, Shikamaru and Ino find their ways to drunkenness. All of them had a couple of glasses down their throats by the time the clock struck midnight except Sakura, who carefully restricted herself from drinking too much – she knew how bad alcohol could influence her mental state because she was a lightweight– and although Sasuke had the same amount of sake equally with Naruto, the stoic faced Uchiha still remained unbelievably sober. Guess Sasuke was a good drinker.

Refusing to see her friends carving their paths deeper to mad land, Sakura decided to put a stop in their pity theatrics. Three drunken chuunins were not really a pretty sight, though the blush on their cheeks made them look more attractive and incredibly sexier, their crazy rants and silly laughs were more than enough to send shivers up to her spine. Unexpected things could happen and Sakura definitely didn't want that. Furthermore, the only female beside her in the group was in the same state as the three and Sakura had to admit that the sight was not a good one, too.

With cheeks completely flustered and blonde locks slipped out of the tight bun – which had became messy in time – along with half-lidded blue eyes that sparkled with unnamed fantasy, Ino – Sakura hated to admit – was a total knockout. Plus the creamy white skin teasingly peeked out of the folds of her floral yukata, Sakura was sure that the male population in Konoha would soon find out that Ino was quite a catch that night. Well, except for a certain Uchiha, of course.

So, to avoid more hungry eyes planted on Ino and get their ways with her – because Ino was quite an _easy-going_ person when she was tipsy – Sakura ended their antic rendezvous and trusted Ino into the safest arms she knew.

Which – against her better judgment – was completely a mistake.

* * *

_Two months, three weeks and six days ago_

Ino woke up with a terrible hangover. However, she wasn't surprised at her mind condition – she somehow expected that – because she was in for a bigger surprise once she cleared the painful headache out of her head and looked at her surrounding.

Through the mist in her eyes, she saw a movement on her right. Blinking to ease the blurriness out of her vision, she slowly jerked up into a sitting. The blanket slid down her body and revealed the sight of her chest down to her lower body she had never expected to see. She was naked, completely bare without any thread of clothing. She blinked in confusion, her dizzy mind busily registering what on earth was going on with all her clothes. They could not just magically disappear like that, could they?

Hell, she never went to sleep naked, even if the atmosphere was unbearably hot.

A groan echoed in her ears and Ino swiveled her head back to her right and witnessed another unexpected sight.

It was Shikamaru and he was in the same state as she was.

"Uh…" He ran his fingers through his untied hair, fully awake and completely loss for words. He studied their situation through his intelligent eyes and he was smart enough to know the story behind those messes. Ruffled hair, tangled sheets and clothes scattered on the floor, those conditions could only conclude one thing. But neither of them wanted to admit that. The traffic jam in their heads was a pain in the ass to endure.

After a minute of silence eye to eye battle, Shikamaru spoke. "I…uh…I think I better go."

He jumped off the bed and Ino quickly turned her head sideways, avoiding the picture of his nudity came into her mind. She heard the swooshing sound of clothes being scooped and worn, and after a gazillion seconds, he was gone.

_There's nothing happen_, Ino thought blearily as she turned to face the whole bedroom. _Nothing. Absolutely nothing._

_Two hours later_

"So Ino, what's for breakfast today?"

"You bum!"

There was nothing happen, really.

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_So this is it. The newest chapter. Basically it all snapshots from the past. I hope you guys are pretty satisfied with it. BTW, I love the new shippudden ending! Very inspiring!! Oh, have you seen the newest Harry Potter movie? It was awesome! _

_Candid pics of Shikamaru and Ino doing…um…naughty things(?) for:_ Elsie-neechan, Cookbook24, sugarmonkey778, aki-child, Sakura12, DemonLoulou, Redenzione, Lechu, angel0fdestiny, Ebil Chameleon, The Reading Maid, TroublesomeShikamaru, tomboy14, NazaliaSan, burnstar, XenaiiTwilightMoon, Shikamaru2211, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, AniMeVietGrl, Khlove, Angeleyes1994, Dark-Neko-Princess, heartbreaker23, x-p.a.t.t.y-x, awegt4, Sasukes-girl08, kunoichihinata14, BellaRose, raineoftears, x0x, Wings-chan, Lady Kenley, anime09, Tiernan Hunter, -quilotz-, Belizma-chan, Frozen Tempest, braindamage730, Itsumo Neko, AnimeFanatic223, Seanshine, StarryRavenFire, CommGonn, DarkMaidenTerri, yankeejendz, corky21492, Kari Morgana Black, sveta89, The blackdash and Scarlet Mist, Amaya-Hitomi, zzTroublesomezz, suzako, XFamousXLastXWordsX and gaaraluver32294.

_(Don't show the pics to your mom) Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	17. Anything but Ordinary

_A/N: I got a very bad flu and my throat is so sore I couldn't talk!_

_This chapter is dedicated to __Flaming Beauty__ (again!)__ for being my __600__th reviewer for __I'm Sorry, Shikamaru_

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* * *

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**Chapter 17: Anything but Ordinary**

_Now_

Ino sat contemplatively in the dark, surrounded by vast silence. The clock on her bedside table showed one in the morning, sending a sign that she really, really had to go to sleep to get all the rest she needed. But her eyes still blinked in the midst of her tiredness. Her mind busily replayed the scenes from the past. All of them…

What Sakura said to her moments earlier made her stay awake until that very second. Ino had left her pink-haired best friend as soon as the words 'I might love him' slipped out of her mouth. Seeing the smug smile of Sakura after hearing her confession, Ino felt the rush of thin air left her lungs. Did she just admit? No. She quickly shook her head and mumbled something incoherent and took her leave, without elaborating more. She was embarrassed and she didn't know why. It wasn't like she meant what she said, was it? Her tongue just had a mind of its own, she reasoned. Sakura stared speechless at her fading back as she ran the steps hurriedly but tailed her not long after to announce that she would come to see her the next morning to check on her again.

Ino looked at her surrounding; her room was dark and cold. She felt tired; her body ached from the long journey. She needed rest, her baby needed rest. But still she hadn't asleep. She was trying to figure out her real feelings for Shikamaru by digging into her memories. So far she still hadn't found the most satisfied answer. And she was still confused. She might love him, she had said. But was that it?

How could she define her love for Shikamaru? Just brotherly love? Platonic love? Or real love?

She wasn't sure.

It might be anything but ordinary.

* * *

Ino woke up very early the next morning, doing her daily routines as a pregnant woman; throwing up. She didn't understand; she was in the final week of her first trimester but her morning sickness still hadn't subsided. Sakura had told her that morning sickness tended to go away later in pregnancy, and it was almost always gone by the second trimester, the fourth month. But the nauseous feelings still remained. She had come close into thinking that something might be wrong with her baby, but she shrugged that train of thought quickly. She didn't want anything to happen to the infant she was carrying, she treasured it too much. She had grown to love it more than she loved herself, more than anything in life. Sometimes it occurred to her that losing the baby _accidentally_ might make her situation a lot easier, but she feared that thought. She knew having a miscarriage hurt, totally hurt. But physical pain didn't compare to the aching burn inside the heart.

_I'm practically a mother_, Ino reminded herself as she lowered her body in front of the sink and scooped a handful of running water into her mouth. _Of course I would feel that way, naturally._ But then she frowned at her thought. If she were to lose the baby, then her life will never be the same anymore. She would have this sort of emptiness in her heart that she couldn't erase for a lifetime. It was like her body was torn into two and half of it gone forever. Ino felt the lump piled in her throat, it was bitter and throbbing and she felt like she wanted to cry out loud instantly at the thought of having the baby out of her before time.

She couldn't bear to lose her baby, she just couldn't.

It was part of Shikamaru, buried deep inside of her that she couldn't let go. She was holding to it for quite some time, for how long she didn't know. It started as a small flame, so small that she barely could make its form. But it grew along with time, the heat and the fierceness of the fire warmed up her entire body. It supported her going through the hardness of life, giving her courage and bravery as a proud Konoha kunoichi, protected her, shielded her from any harm and danger. There was something seeped into her when their bodies touched, even with the smallest contact of a finger on her hand or his all when he wrapped his strong arms around her to catch her fall. She was smart enough to realize that something was coming, but too dumb to notice what it was. Or maybe she knew it all this time, but chose to ignore it, acknowledge it.

She felt the love in his friendship, warm and mild just like the color of his eyes.

But he didn't love her the way she wanted him to, which Ino came to think, in what way she wanted Shikamaru to love her. Heat rushed to her face wondering so. She was more than happy enough if he loved her as a friend, as one of his closest friends, his first _girlfriend_. But now that they were stuck in this _mess_, she surely wanted him to love her more than that. She wanted love that will stick him with her together, until the last day of their lives. She wanted love that given to her and only her that was not given to anybody else – any woman save his mother – but her.

For a moment, Ino held her breath as the train of thought – kind of selfish one – passed her mind. But then her eyes opened wide as another thought snapped at her.

What she wanted from Shikamaru was…real love.

And why was that?

Because she might love him, end of discussion.

Ino took another trip to the bathroom as the nausea filled her body once again. She let her body dropped to her knees and both hands grasp the toilet bowl as she threw her stomach content out. She felt weak, her head was spinning and the overwhelming cold sensation wrapped her entire body. She almost wished that Shikamaru was there; he would trace lazy touches on her back to soothe her sickness and carry her in his arms after she was done. He would drop her somewhere comfortable – usually her bed – and fix her breakfast and help her to start the morning like all mornings. But when her mind was reminded instantly to a snapshot of memories, where she had heard him talking to Chouji that other day, Ino discarded that – almost – wish quickly. Her blood boiled.

Ino cringed at her own feelings. Why can't she just forgive him? Why was she still angry at him? It had been almost two weeks, for Kami's sake! She never mad at him for long! Why can't she just accept the fact that yeah, she was indeed troublesome and far too pretty for him and move on? Or just ignore all that crap and go her way and scream, "Damn you, Nara Shikamaru! I don't care what you thought of me. Marry me now!"? Why can't she see the reason maybe she should be the one who make the first move? Why can't she get to her senses and overcome her ego and her pride so that in the end they would end up together at last? Why?

"Damn you, Shikamaru…" Ino choked, crying now. "Damn you… Why aren't you here?" She moved slowly from the toilet bowl, flushed it and neared the sink. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. A blonde was facing her, looking terrible. She mirrored Ino's movement, who was biting her bottom lip so hard, trying to stop her tears, trying to block a realization. She was trying her hardest to not admit a thing, her real feelings, which she discovered for real now. Ino punched the wall beside the mirror. "Why did you make me feel this way, Shikamaru?! Why are you always playing mind games with me?! Why…?"

She sank on the cold tiled floor, her weak knees failed to support her body anymore. Her entire being ached, throbbed with unregistered pain. His last words echoed in her ears, it stung, it hurt her. Very, very much. The small room was filled with sobs, which was growing louder and louder every second passed. Ino let her emotions out, all of it to relieve her pain. She didn't care whether people hear her; she just wanted to feel better again. She would give anything to get his harsh words out of her mind.

"Damn you, Shikamaru…" She wailed in frustration. "I don't love you…" She enchanted the word over and over again. "I don't love you… I don't –"

**x**

An hour later, Ino emerged out of the bathroom, looking calm and composed and confident as she always was. She already bathed and washed all the pitiful tears away and now she was ready to start the day. She went to her closet and pulled out her favorite skinny jeans and a loose blue sleeveless top and wore it, went to her vanity to give a quick touch of makeup on her faintly tear-streaked face, brushed her long blond hair and decided to leave it down since it was still wet and after the final glance at the mirror that showed she looked alright, she grabbed her purse and walked out of the front door.

She felt great; she hadn't crying so badly – plus muttering heavy curses for you-know-who – for such a long time that it gave her somewhat serene feeling after she finished. She looked around her surrounding, noticing most of the shops were mostly opened. But none of them were her favorites so she quickly discarded the thought of having breakfast outside. Making a decision – she was terribly hungry – she followed a familiar path to her family's flower shop. Yakiniku occurred inside her mind but she shrugged it off immediately, too, knowing that BBQ meat wasn't a great meal for breakfast. Besides…

"_It's too oily. You'll get fat. You'll regret eating this." _Ino recalled Shikamaru's expression and chuckled lamely to herself. Surely he knew her very well…

After going through long denials and debated with herself and lots of crying, too, Ino came to conclusion that no matter how awful his words had been, tore her heart apart, or how furious she ignored her real feelings and kept wishing it was only a delusion, she couldn't help but admitting at last that she – indeed – was in love with Shikamaru.

She loved that lazy bum!

Heck. And she was going to give him a second chance, too.

**x**

Bright lights rushed into his eyes the moment Shikamaru opened his eyes slowly, giving him almost a headache. He groaned in discomfort, shielding his face with a hand while blinking lazily, trying to block the light from getting into his eyes.

"Ah, finally…" He heard a feminine voice sounded not far from his right. Shikamaru opened his eyes fully and took in his surrounding, as he slowly jerked up into a sitting. He was still in the clearing area where he and the rest of his team camped for the night, still in his spot below a big, willowy tree and close to the fire. But there had been difference from what he saw since they first arrived there. Shikamaru felt the sting of heat on his skin and realized that it wasn't from the fire.

He could see the surrounding clearly. It was day.

"…he's awake." Shikamaru quickly turned his gaze towards the voice and saw Tenten was sitting cross-legged not far from him, sharpening her kunai. She glanced a bit at him while saying that, a smile on her lips.

"Yeah, finally." Suddenly Kiba's voice sounded in his ears, supporting Tenten's remarks. "Guess that you really are tired, huh?"

"Wha –" Shikamaru was confused. Why were they making some fishy comments? He didn't sleep that _long_, did he?

"There's a stream down there." Neji spoke from his left and Shikamaru whipped his head around to look at him. The tall, always calm – and undoubtedly cool – Hyuuga was leaning against a big tree, crossing his arms. "We better get going once you clean yourself a bit." He spoke and Shikamaru finally noticed that all his teammates were looking fresh and all charged up, ready for the journey.

"Okay…" He muttered, agreeing without saying much. His mind was still hazy from the previous sleep. While stretching a bit in his seat, he realized a few things more. The fire had died and it was all ashes on the ground. He felt like the heat was eating his skin now and the day was too bright for early morning.

Warily, he turned to Tenten again. "What time is it now?"

The young woman who could be dubbed as Konoha's weapon mistress gave an apologetic smile. She seemed hesitating a bit before blurting out, "Err…around ten?"

Shikamaru felt like the world had collapsed upon him. Ten o'clock?!! Bullshit! That was…that was almost noon!

He planned on getting back home as soon as the sun was up, but there he was still in the middle of nowhere. Shikamaru sprang immediately on his feet. "Why you guys didn't wake me up?!"

Kiba and Tenten just rolled their eyes and Neji just shook his head with his eyes closed and a smirk tugged his lips.

"What?" Shikamaru frowned.

"We did wake you up, captain." Tenten chuckled. "Million times."

"Yeah. Neji even kick your ass." Kiba snickered.

"We have tried every possible way to wake you up but you just sleep like a dead man." Neji explained coolly.

The frown marred across Shikamaru's forehead deepened. "Well, you could've thrown water on me or something! Anything!"

"Um, we don't know that we're allowed to do that," Kiba grinned cheekily. Shikamaru looked quite mad. Kiba knew his captain was anxious to get back home as soon as possible. Why? He had no idea. "But talking about water… Akamaru did lick your face _wholly_ not too long ago." Akamaru barked at the mention of its name, feeling proud to share the attempt of waking the one and only Konoha's laziest shinobi.

Shikamaru's mouth hung open.

Still grinning, Kiba pointed at a direction. "The stream is over there."

"Right." Shikamaru muttered, annoyed and made his way to the said place hurriedly to wash every bit of Akamaru's remaining saliva on his face.

A few minutes later, he returned to his team with body all freshen up. Upon arriving, he saw that the place was already tidy and their things all packed for the journey. Still wearing the serious face, Shikamaru spoke, "Let's go, guys."

"Aye, captain!" Kiba and Tenten answered his call along with Akamaru's barks and a snicker from Neji.

A short glance at the lucid blue sky that reminded him much of Ino's eyes, as Shikamaru leapt from tree to tree in fast paces, he realized that he hadn't bought a ring yet.

Not that he really bothered. He wasn't going to waste anymore time to find a ring rather than to find Ino. He wasted too much time already. _I hope she's home_, he thought and then frowned upon remembering something. He just wished that Ino didn't bother crashing at his place because he knew how Ino were whenever she was in his house. Ino loved going through all his things.

Because if she did that, there was a high chance for her to discover the nearly crumpled envelope of Shinkai Hajime he had stashed far at the back in one of his kitchen drawers.

Questions must be asked and Ino probably (or surely) jumped at the handsome proposal and like hell he was going to let it happen.

Not when he had all the right in the world to make her his, Shikamaru thought grimly. Ino just have to say yes to _his_ proposal.

With or without a ring.

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Recently I've become the rabid Harry Potter fan—not that I wasn't a fan before, just a mild one. I was absolutely crazy about the series especially after watching the newest Harry Potter movie. And when reading some reviews that mentioned the movie wasn't featuring all in the book, I got really anxious. I mean, all this time I only follow the series by watching the movies instead of reading it. But now, I want to read them all. I want to own the whole series! _

_Loving Harry Potter fanfictions by Lady Norbert. And in case you're wondering, my favorite HP pairing is RonxHermione—of course!_

_One summer night with Shikamaru or Ino for:_ heartbreaker23, DarkMaidenTerri, Elsie-neechan, Sasukes-girl08, The Reading Maid, rainoftears, Flaming Beauty, Hasamaki, Iztiak, sugarmonkey778, Khlove, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, yankeejendz, Lady Kenley, NazaliaSan, The blackdash and ScarletMist, angel0fdestiny, AniMeViEtGrl, Ebil Chameleon, Belizma-chan, x0x, x-p.a.t.t.y-x, Ginriku, anime09, kunoichihinata14, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, MsADRiENNE, -quilotz-, bookworm816, fanficgeek and braindamage730.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	18. Too Little Too Late

**Chapter 18: Too Little Too Late**

When Ino arrived at the Yamanaka flower shop a few minutes later, she was far from hungry. She was ravenous and cheery and no longer sad but all in all happy. In fact, she couldn't wait for Shikamaru to come back from his mission.

For the sake of her baby, she had shed all her anger towards him. And just for the sake of her baby, she already had the proposal along with their upcoming marriage all planned in her head.

She was a little bit nervous seeing the front door of the flower shop but that didn't stop her from walking forward. Both her parents still had no clue that she was pregnant and right now she didn't have the courage and enough guts to tell them that she was. But somehow, she could guess their reactions regarding to that matter. Typically, they would get mad and grant her long lecture, perhaps hit her. Worse, they would kick her out of the house, out of their lives. Knowing her parents' nature, Ino wasn't sure at the latter. They loved her as much as she loved them; they'll probably accept the fact that she was going to give birth to a baby in a couple of months and just get over it. But still, just thinking about breaking the shocking news sent shiver to her spine. Her father was frightening when he was really, really mad and she couldn't bear to see her mother crying out of shame.

Feeling some kind of ghostly aura suddenly surrounded her body, Ino quickly discarded that thought away. There was still a lot of time until that moment and she like it very much if Shikamaru was with her when the time to announce her pregnancy finally come.

Finding the front door was locked, Ino took the keys from the back pocket of her jeans and unlocked the door. "Mom?" She called out loud as she closed the door behind her. The flower shop wasn't open until later, so she didn't feel surprised at all seeing there was nobody behind the counter or tending the flowers. Walking over to the door that separated the shop and the rest of the house, Ino couldn't help but noticed that there were a few pots of new exotic flowers standing near the counter.

"Mom? Where are you? I'm home…"

When Ino threw the closed door open and stepped inside the cozy living room, a familiar sound echoed from upstairs. She looked up and smiled, and ran to the first landing of the stairs. No wonder her mother didn't hear her; her voice wasn't loud enough compared to the noisy vacuum cleaner.

The older version of Ino finally noticed her daughter. "Ino, sweetie!" Her deep blue eyes lit up in excitement. She turned off the machine. "Welcome back! I've missed you! How was your mission?" Though she didn't find out about the mission straight from Ino, but Sakura had kindly informed her.

"It went great!" Ino answered in similar fashion. She remained at her spot on the landing. "My jounin exam soon should be a piece of cake." Ino didn't mean to brag but her mission was really a success. The whole Sunagakure was grateful to her and hoped she could do more missions for them or with them in the future. "And I missed you, too!"

"Have you eaten?"

Ino stomach grumbled. "Not yet."

"Not yet? Are you going to skip breakfast again? Even if you're on diet, skipping breakfast is a taboo. Breakfast is essential to start your day."

Ino laughed at her mother's outburst but her heart wobbled a mile. Just imagine how her mother's reaction will be when seeing her eating like a pig! Since she was pregnant, she always felt hungry. "No, mom. Currently I'm not on diet. I just feel lazy to fix breakfast myself. There's nothing in the house anyway."

"And that's why you came to your mother for rescue?" There was a brief pause.

Ino instantly rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming. Her mother was going to lecture her again about living on her own. Both her parents never liked the thought of having their daughter living somewhere else, they always worried about her safety even though there was a particular trustworthy neighbor living just next door.

_How annoying._

So, before her mother could even launch her first word, Ino beat her to it. "I'm gonna find something to eat. See you later, mom!" Then with a wave, Ino bounced to the kitchen, leaving her mother speechless.

Homemade raisin bread greeted her sight once she arrived at the sunny large kitchen. A large jar of peanut butter and a smaller size of strawberry jam rested next to it. Ino could feel her mouth water. Almost immediately, she took a small plate and prepared her own breakfast. She cut the bread unusually thick and spread peanut butter all over it. Taking a bite as she lowered herself in one of the chairs, she saw an empty cup at the end of the dining table.

It was her father's favorite cup. "Is daddy home?" Ino yelled through munching. But her mother didn't answer because once again the noisy sound filled the air. Ino shrugged to herself. Meh, she'll ask again later. Looking outside the window, she noticed how beautiful the blue sky was, decorated by a few floating clouds. That sight reminded her of Shikamaru instantly. The weather was perfect for watching clouds.

_Hmm…I wonder what his answer will be…_

Ino startled when her mother entered the kitchen a few minutes later. Her mother gave her a weird look seeing her nibbling the slice. "There's rice and miso soup." She spoke as she crossed the room to the sink. "Why don't you eat them?"

"Oh, I didn't see." Ino answer truthfully. The said food sounded delicious, Ino decided to sample it later. "Mom, is daddy home?"

"Yeah." She answered without looking back; she was busily washing the dishes. "But he went out since early morning. He'll be back soon." Ino nodded. Silence fell between them until her mother broke it.

"So, have you thought about it?"

Ino frowned. "Thought about what?"

"Oh, you know." Her mother went to the table to retrieve the empty cup and gave her a knowing look as she took the cup and began washing it.

Ino's gaze followed her mother's direction. "What about?" She questioned out loud, chuckling a little.

"The proposal."

Ino's smile died on her lips. She could feel heat rushed to her face. "The p—proposal?"

"Yeah. Shikamaru already talked to you about it, I suppose."

_Holy crap!_ Ino silently smacked herself. Had her mother knew about her pregnancy? Had Shikamaru possibly—told her?!

"Ino?"

Dear Kami, she was panic!

Her mother probably knew all about it but Ino decided to play dumb. "What _proposal_?" She tried her best not to stutter. Thankfully her mother was still facing the sink otherwise she would discover that blood had vanished from her face.

Ino wiped a guilty sweat rolling down her brow, gulping. Under the tablecloth, her hands and knees were shaking.

"Oh, Shikamaru still hadn't told you? He must have missed you that day…" Her mother put the last dish on the drying rack and rubbed her watery hands against the apron she wore. When she looked around to make sure that there was nobody else in the house except them two and started talking in a low voice, Ino's frown deepened. From panic, she turned curious.

"Ino, dear…" Her mother took a seat beside her and instantly reached her free hand. "There's something I want to tell you. You see, last time while I was visiting our relatives at Otafuku village, somebody came to see me. He brought good news." The blue eyes twinkled with anticipation. "Do you remember Hajime-kun? You know, a boy you used to play with when you were little, whenever we visit our family there?"

An image of a handsome young boy, with a cloud of brown hair and killer green eyes flashed in Ino's mind. Ino gave a little cry. "Oh, you mean Hajime-niisan?! Of course I remember him!"

"Oh, good." Her mother squeezed her hand tight. "Sweetie, listen to me very carefully." Ino saw her mother was a little nervous and couldn't help but feeling more curious. "The good news is—Hajime-kun, he—he wants to marry you, dear."

Ino gasped. Pulling her hand out of her mother's grip, she covered her gaping mouth. Her big, blue eyes roamed wildly. She couldn't believe her ears. Hajime—the great and handsome Shinkai Hajime wanted to marry her?!

Ino should feel like she was the luckiest girl in the whole wide world. Who didn't want to be a wife of a very wealthy and successful young man and bear lots and lots of children whom surely will resemble all his good looks?!

But Ino didn't. Because…

"But mom, what _Shikamaru_ has to do with this proposal?"

Her mother flashed a smile. "Oh! Nothing, actually. I just asked him to deliver Hajime-kun's proposal to you!" Suddenly the peanut-butter in her mouth tasted like dust.

"So when he heard about this…" Ino put the half-eaten bread down back to its place because she didn't feel like eating anymore. Her heart drummed nervously. "Wha—what did he say?"

"Hmm? Who? Shikamaru-kun? He didn't say anything."

"He didn't say anything." Ino repeated grimly, couldn't believe her ears once again. "_Nothing at all?_"

"Nothing at all. Why? What did you want him to say?"

"Nothing." Ino quickly answered. Pain was stabbing her chest little by little. So Shikamaru didn't say anything about the proposal, huh? He didn't feel anything about the thought of handing her over to some guy. She, who was carrying his child. He didn't get mad, he didn't object…

Like he didn't care at all.

Ino felt her throat tightened with renewed rage.

_How. Could. He?!_

"Sure, he seemed surprised when I mentioned someone wanted to marry you, my dear. But he didn't say anything. And when I asked him to hand the proposal to you, he agreed without saying much." Now noticing her daughter's silence, she slowly put a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, sweetie? You're not upset at me for letting Shikamaru know, are you?"

Ino gave a quick smile, putting a happy face. "_No_. Why would you think that?"

"Because you look quite mad… Oh, don't worry, Ino! Shikamaru is not going to mock you or anything! I mean, you both gotten past that stage, right?"

"Uh, yeah…"

"So no big deal? No hard feeling?"

Ino forced herself to widen her smile. "No, mom. No big deal at all."

"Hmm? What big deal?" Suddenly a male voice entered the room. Both women whipped their heads to the door.

"Dear…"

"Dad…"

"Hello, my princess." Inoichi neared them in two big strides. He kissed Ino's forehead and gave her a quick hug. "Long time no see. I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too, dad." Ino's expression was bitter.

The blond man smiled and sat beside Ino. "So what was the deal?"

Ino looked at her mother briefly and in return, her mother gave her a warning look. Ino frowned at this, but turned to her father at last. "Mom told me that some guy from Otafuku village wants to marry me, dad."

"Hmm? What is it, princess? Someone wants to marry you? Who?" Inoichi asked nonchalantly.

"It's Hajime-kun, dear." His wife cut his daughter's sentence. "Shinkai Hajime. The famous Karate master. You know him."

"Ah…" Inoichi nodded, remembering the guy. "Isn't he the one who always fooling around with you, Ino?"

"Yeah." Ino answered shortly.

"That—Shinkai wants to marry you?"

"That's what mom told me." Inoichi raised both blond brows, the information just sank in.

"I see."

"So what do you think, dad?"

The smile spread across the blond man's face was almost ghostly. His blue eyes which in more similar color as her daughter narrowed a bit, his pale and rugged complexion darkened. Ino knew instantly what her father was going to say.

"Of course I will—" Both Yamanaka women enchanted his next words in their heads. "—not let it happen."

There was a pregnant silence afterwards and then…

"Just who the hell is he thinking he could marry my daughter so easily like that?" Ino sighed and rolled her eyes—somehow expected this to come—and her mother just smiled sheepishly at her husband ranted noisily. "If he wants to marry my daughter, he should come and see me first! Not just passing around the word and act like I don't exist!"

"But dear," suddenly his wife reached his hand. "Don't you think it's good for Ino to be married to a great guy like Hajime-kun?"

"I don't doubt it but it's _too soon_!" Inoichi put an arm around her beloved daughter, hugging her protectively. "Look at her! She's too young to marry! She's just seventeen! She needs to experience more in life. Marriage isn't an easy thing, you know that!" His wife opened her mouth to retort, but Inoichi quickly silenced her. "She'll get married, but not _now_. _Not this time_. I'm not ready to let go of her yet. I still need her by my side. And when the right time comes, I'll marry her to a man that I know and trust, that could protect her and love her more than I do and she surely loves him in return."

"Looks like you already had someone in mind." His wife mumbled sarcastically.

Inoichi stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I have a few candidates." Ino said nothing at this, not that she cared about anything anymore. "But they need to pass a few tests first."

While her parents lightly argued about whom she should marry, Ino slowly sank into misery. The news surely shocked the hell out of her. What upset her most wasn't the proposal, but how Shikamaru reacted to that matter. He said nothing at all about some guy wanted to marry her, proving that he didn't give a damn at all about their current situation. She really meant nothing to him. She was just some girl, someone he should get rid off as soon as possible. She was _his problem_. So handing her over to somebody else simply released him from his responsibility? Was that what he was thinking?

Ino wanted to collapse. Her entire body felt numb. She didn't know what to do anymore. She was so tired that she felt like surrendering to the heavy current and go with the flow. Why everything was a mess?! Couldn't things get any better?

"—and in the end," her father was saying. "The person who is going to be our daughter's husband must be someone brave, smart, trustworthy and most of all, love her with all his heart." Ino was crushed into a deeper hug by Inoichi. "Only person who has all the characteristics could have my princess—my sweet, pure, innocent Ino."

That was the last straw Ino could take. As soon as she heard that last sentence, Ino felt like bursting into tears anytime. She felt so guilty, so filthy. She wasn't pure and innocent as claimed anymore! She had done _that_ thing! Her beloved dad didn't know that she was pregnant and she felt bad having to keep the matter from him! But at the same time, she was scared. What will her father say?

"_That's what you got for not listening to me! I've told you that living on your own are not good for you and look what it got you! And who told you that you could drink sake at this age? You're just seventeen! Still underage! The result? You're pregnant with some boy! And who else drinking with you that night? Name every one of them! I'm going to bring this to Hokage!"_ Ino could only imagine Inoichi's powerful wrath.

Looking discreetly at her father and mother, Ino couldn't help but re-construct her plan.

What should she do now? Holding the truth back for a few more months until Shikamaru came up with a brilliant plan? Did they have enough time before her belly finally show?

Her world suddenly turned pitch black.

**x**

When Shikamaru and his team arrived at Konoha later that day, the sun was about to set.

His heart jumped excitedly upon arriving at his birth land but he tried to not show it on his face. He couldn't let his teammates know what he was thinking at the moment. All he had to do now was hand the report and get over it as quickly as possible. After no more Q and A with Tsunade, then he was free to find Ino.

He really hoped she was back.

"Hey, Shikamaru," suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder. Kiba was grinning from ear to ear. "How about we do you—say—a favor?"

"A favor?"

"Yeah. You look like you had something really important on your mind, so—why don't you hand us the scroll and we report the mission to Hokage-sama on your behalf?" Shikamaru raised his brow at this but Kiba simply paid him a laugh. "Don't worry. Neji could handle this, right?"

The calm and composed Hyuuga prodigy simply smirked. "No problem."

Shikamaru was speechless. Was he really that obvious?

"Whoever she is, don't make her wait." Tenten seemed to read his mind.

"Guys—"

"Go!" She encouraged, waving her hand. "We'll make up excuse for you."

"I—thank you." After giving them a simple bow, Shikamaru dashed to his destination in a blur.

Little did he know that he was too little too late.

…**to be continued.**

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_Pull the trigger and—BAM!__ They will meet in the next chapter—I promise!_

_**ChipsMore**__ cookies (eating it now, yum yum) for:_ rainoftears, The Reading Maid, Elsie-neechan, Lady Kenley, angel0fdestiny, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, x0x, Ebil Chameleon, XFamousXLastXWordsX, Shera-girl, you.broke.a.promise, heartbreaker23, Crimson Mystery, sugarmonkey778, DarkMaidenTerri, NazaliaSan, Ginriku, babiititi, sad little monkey, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, Hasamaki, Khlove, lala-sama, chikarubunny, Dark-Neko-Princess, anime09, Flaming Beauty, Belizma-chan, x-p.a.t.t.y-x, Sakura12, The blackdash and ScarletMist, pAndAxL.LAwliet, Jenny, MayumiNorika, Shikamaru2211, Narutard Kiba, Wings-chan, tomboy14, Sasukes-girl08, zzTroublesomezz, Chuen, Bella-Rose01, kayla, braindamage730 and DemonLoulou.

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter!_


	19. Leave Me Alone

_A/N: Thank you for all your concern about my health. I'm feeling so much better now; thank God the flu had gone._

_This chapter is dedicated to __sad little monkey__ for being my __700th__ reviewer for I'm Sorry, Shikamaru! Cheers!_

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**Chapter 19: Leave Me Alone**

It had been two months. Since he said he will take care of her, he had come to her house as often as he could. It was like a routine, checking up on her. It was like he spent all his free time there, with her. He even slept there, in the same bed as her, just holding her close, nothing else. He did all that out of worry. He witnessed her difficulties, watching her throw up, hearing her whimpering in pain. Dizziness echoed in her head, she said.

But of course he did the entire visiting a secret. So far so good. Ino lived alone and so did he and they live close to each other. It was not a problem sneaking into her house. He had thought of moving into her apartment fully but cancelled the thought after considering the act could draw anybody's attention.

And for him, it was _still_ troublesome just thinking that in a few more months, he will become a father. But after unofficially living together with her, somehow he got used to the fact. Surprisingly, he found out that he was counting the days. He even prepared a name for their baby.

Not only that, he fell in love with a woman had he never thought of falling in love with: his childhood friend, a best friend, a teammate, someone who was far from average; a bossy, loud, bothersome woman.

How ironic.

"Ino?" Shikamaru called out as he walked into the apartment. The first thing he noticed the house was without lights. Disappointment clouded his heart. _So she still hadn't back yet_, he thought gloomily. His shoulders suddenly sagged with inexplicable weight. He was exhausted from long journey, now he realized that. Inspirited, he walked blindly in the dark, in the midst of setting sun, didn't bother at all to switch on the lights.

Until he stepped on something—odd.

Shikamaru frowned, looking at his feet. What was that? The last time he remembered, Ino's house was clean and tidy. There wasn't a single thing on the floor. It was spotless—save the unseen dust. _Bug?_ Shikamaru bent down and picked the thing up, examining it. The fading sunshine from outside didn't help his sight so he turned on the lights.

The thing in his hand was a cereal. Shikamaru looked around. He was in the kitchen.

No wonder—WHAT?!

It was an unbelievable sight. A box of cereal was lying beside a fallen chair with all its contents scattered out.

Shikamaru froze.

Wha—what the hell?!!

Robbery? No. There was no sign of it. The door was locked and all the windows were sealed tight. There was no way anybody could enter the house without unlocking the door, speaking of which, only he and Ino had the key to the house…

_Wait. Ino? She's back?_

Looking back down, now Shikamaru realized that there was something other than cereal sprawled on the messy floor. The thick, red substance—it can't be…

Blood?

Shikamaru paled.

Oh, shit.

His mind raced furiously, analyzing the situation. _Fallen chair, cereal and blood; what does it mean?_ Shikamaru was unable to move from his spot. He added another subject in his analyzation. Ino. How troublesome. Could it be—could it be that something had happened to her?

Something bad?

Before Shikamaru could register fully the result formed in his mind, his feet had taken him away to a destination…

**x**

Sakura was reading something in her thick medical book when suddenly the knocking on her front door snapped her out of her concentration. Hurrying to open the door—she was afraid that the banging would ruin her door, besides, the noise could disturb her neighbors—Sakura was greeted with a shocking sight.

A worried face of Shikamaru appeared in her vision.

"Shika—"

"Sakura—" He quickly cut her off. "—is Ino here?"

Shikamaru looked like a mad man. His face was slightly smudged, his hair wasn't neatly tied and there was dirt on his clothes. His chest rose up and down in rugged breaths; probably resulting from running all the way to her place. Wariness, fear—it was all reflected in his face.

"I saw it—the kitchen and all the blood," Shikamaru tried to calm himself down. "Sakura, Ino's back, isn't she? What—what happened to her?"

Sakura stared at him in disbelief. "What brings you to my place?"

"If something bad has happened to her—in case Ino needs medical attention, then she'll probably go to you in the first place. So tell me, Sakura—is Ino here or not?"

Fixing her gaze on him for several more seconds, Sakura let her intelligent eyes judged him. For someone who considered all things troublesome, Shikamaru surely had come out of his shell. Here stood a young man Sakura barely recognized; the panic in his eyes wiped his calmness blank. It was the same expression Sakura remembered the last time she saw Shikamaru looking eagerly for Ino. A worrywart, Sakura assumed Shikamaru now. As if he was afraid of losing something—her.

At last, Sakura stepped back and pushed the door further open. "Come in," she said calmly. "Yeah, Ino's here."

However, there was no sign of Ino inside the house. "Where is she?" Shikamaru demanded; his patience was running thin.

"She's inside my room," Sakura pointed a closed door and quickly, Shikamaru strode to the said place. "Wait!" Sakura cried as she jogged and caught his arm. "You cannot see her just yet."

"Why?!"

"Because—" Using her super-strength, Sakura forcedly pushed him down onto the couch. Shikamaru gave her his best glare but she ignored it. "—I need to tell you something really important."

"She just came back from mission and something bad has happened to her; is it?" Shikamaru hopefully thought he was wrong.

But instead of answering 'True' or 'Wrong', Sakura spoke, "Worse."

That caught Shikamaru off guard. "_What_?!" He hissed, eyes blaring with gruesome emotion.

"Yes, she just came back from mission—just yesterday—and yes, something bad indeed had happened to her—she was attacked during her journey home—" Shikamaru's eyes widened at this. "—however, it was nothing fatal compared to—_this_."

"What happened?" The voice was so hoarse Shikamaru barely register as his.

Sakura looked at her feet. Her face clouded with misery. Never had Shikamaru seen her face contained with so much agony before. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something but nothing came out. Her mind was busily searching for the best words.

"Sakura, tell me—it's not what I had in mind, or is it?"

And again, instead of answering 'Yes' or 'No', Sakura elaborated the whole thing. "First, I need you to relax because this is really shocking news, Shikamaru." Shikamaru's eyes darted back and forth from her face to her bedroom door, and Sakura instantly figured that Shikamaru wanted her to get the story over with so that he could see the blonde inside. However, with his shoulders in her iron grip, there was no way he could escape. "This morning, Ino fell from a chair—she was reaching for something in the cabinet. She lost balance and fell, _hard_, right on her stomach." Shikamaru felt the shivers crawling up his spine. "She bled _a lot_. If it's not because I promised her I'd check her up this morning, I wouldn't have come to her house—I wouldn't have found her there."

Shikamaru snapped his eyes shut. _No… No, this can't be happening!_

"She lost a lot of blood, she nearly lost her life. If I were to arrive late, even one minute then she…"

"Are you saying that Ino—"

"Yes, Shikamaru." Sakura's voice was a little bit shaken, but it was firm and clear. "She lost the baby. My deepest apology to you."

**x**

Shikamaru didn't know how long he was staring at the blank space in front of him after Sakura dropped the bomb because when he finally came out of his reverie, the super-strength lady in red had vanished from his sight.

Sakura had returned to her earlier position before Shikamaru came; reading her medical book in a small armchair not far from him, like nothing happened. She spared him a glance and noticed he finally had his head out of the clouds.

"How—how is she?" His voice was so small it seemed like he was talking to himself.

Sakura scrutinized him more. _For Kami's sake, Ino… I don't know you are so blind. This guy is crazy about you. He's deeply in love with you._

"How is Ino?" Shikamaru asked again, hopelessly gazing at her with hurtful eyes.

"Broken." Sakura simply said. Shikamaru nodded, understood.

"How bad?"

"Very badly." Sakura sighed. "Very, very badly."

"I understand." Shikamaru made a move to stand up.

"And just where you're thinking you're going?"

"To see her."

Sakura sprang to her feet immediately and blocked his way. "No, you cannot see her. She's too upset. She didn't want to see anybody. Come visit her tomorrow."

Shikamaru shook his head stubbornly. "I need to see her _now_."

"She's physically and emotionally unstable, Shikamaru. Your presence is not needed for the time being."

"I don't care." Shikamaru placed his hand on the door knob. "Don't worry, I won't be long. I just have to see her." _Because I missed her so much_, he added silently.

Once the open door revealed the fragile looking woman inside, Shikamaru felt his heart crushed. Ino was lying in bed on her back, her face turned slightly to her right. She wasn't sleeping; she was looking outside the window. And though she wasn't crying, he could almost see that she was.

Shikamaru took a step toward her and she heard him. Ino turned slowly to the door and their eyes met and all Shikamaru saw in the deep blue orbs was emptiness.

Her gaze was deadly. And upon seeing him, Ino's steady breaths turned wild.

"Go away." She spoke in murderous tone, glaring icily at him. "I don't want to see you."

"Ino—"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, eyes turning red. She was going to cry again even though it wasn't going to be as hysterical as before. Shikamaru took another tentative step, a brave move—also a stubborn one—when suddenly Sakura burst into the room to save the moment.

She witnessed the two were engrossed in a staring contest; one with rage and one with heartbroken soul. The situation was so tense she felt the difficulties to breathe. Not noticing she was holding her breaths, Sakura waited for another explosion to blow. She watched them two in horror, afraid of their next actions. Ino looked like she was ready to kill and Shikamaru seemed like encouraging her with his laid-back reaction. However, nothing happened as expected. A few moments passed in peace before the blonde finally gave up and returned her gaze back to the window, saying nothing more.

But not without giving Shikamaru the coldest look that surely put North Pole to shame.

"Shikamaru," Sakura whispered, putting a hand on his tense shoulder. "You heard her. Please, just—just let her be for this moment."

"But I need to talk to her." Shikamaru replied grimly.

"This isn't the best time." Sakura almost pleaded. Ino had been in distress since her arrival yesterday and as her best friend, Sakura didn't want to push the blonde's emotional level further up. "Shikamaru—please. Leave her alone for now."

Sakura tugged his arm for the last and Shikamaru finally surrendered to her request. It hurt him knowing Sakura was true; dealing with Ino in her current mental state was like digging his own grave.

Leaving the room half-heartedly, as he closed the door behind him, Shikamaru could've sworn that he heard a faint sob echoed in his ears.

**x**

Sakura waited until the door fully closed before turning to Ino. "You shouldn't be too harsh on him," she spoke softly, nearing the bed. "He just worried."

"I know." Ino whispered, fixing her gaze still at the window. She didn't bother at all to wipe the fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "I hate myself. I'm such a jerk. I couldn't even protect—"

"Ino…"

"I hate him looking at me like that."

"You mean you hate looking at him like that." Sakura corrected and quickly added, "Why are you doing this? He really loves you, you know."

An image of Shikamaru looking worried sick about her flashed in her mind's eye but Ino made no comment. She was starting to get the idea, the whole thing, that what Sakura had babbled to her over and over again yesterday was indeed true. But her stubbornness got the best out of her. With her injured pride, it was hard for her to let the information slip into her mind. It was as if she was against the fact that the sky was blue.

"Not that it matter anymore…"

Sakura held up her hands. Even though Ino was emotionally unstable but that didn't stop her from being a true friend. Ino was _blind_; she needed someone to point the right direction for her, each and every turn. And now, Sakura wasn't going to go easy on her; she wasn't going to treat Ino like a baby.

"Ino, we've gone through this before. Do not make me throw a fit on you; only Kami knows you are so stubborn…" Ino finally whipped her head at her and gave her famous glare. But Sakura easily ignored it. "Yes, Shikamaru hurt your feelings. But that didn't kill you, did it? I don't know… I think you should go talk to him and clear all this mess—What?"

Ino gave her a look completely different from before, a look Sakura couldn't decipher. It was a mix of angriness and hurt, fear and worry, pity, self-destruction, misery, disappointment and most of all was losing something she treasured. Empty, yes, her deadly blue eyes were empty.

"It really doesn't matter anymore, Sakura." Ino whispered, lowering her gaze to the wrinkles of her blanket. "Please—can you just leave me alone for now? I need to clear my head."

Sakura sighed deeply. "Okay." She agreed, patting Ino on the hand. "We'll talk about this later—when you're feeling much better. I leave you alone for now; there's something I want to discuss with Shikamaru."

However, before she could proceed fully to the door, Ino stopped her. "Sakura," the look on her face was eager and desperate. "Do me a favor. Do not tell Shikamaru what I feel for him—everything." Sakura shot an incredulous look. "I—I will tell him myself—when the right time come."

"You better. I couldn't keep anymore secret."

Ino formed a weak smile and Sakura chuckled. "Rest well, Ino. And do not think about it much, okay? I really hate to say this but—you have a new life to begin starting from now on. And take my advice; please talk to him. Make it soon if you can."

…**to be continued.**

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_Oh! Please don't shoot me (I think I saw guns)! Stick with me! Stick with me! Everything's gonna be alright, I promise! _

_This chapter didn't turn out to be so angsty as I've expected. Maybe it's because of Ino and Shikamaru haven't got the 'talk'? Stay tune! And BTW, I enjoy putting cliffhangers to my chapters because I believe cliffhangers really encourage (attract) readers to keep up with my story. Evil? You bet!_

'_Cause I know you guys love me anyways…_

_Insert devilish laugh_

_Shikamaru/Ino's handmade cakes (try it! it's delicious!) for:_ chikarubunny, The blackdash, UglyXXDuckling, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, Khlove, raineoftears, -quilotz-, aki-child, Wings-chan, angel0fdestiny, Demon Uchiha, DemonLoulou, x0x, Lady Kenley, Lanna14, TroublesomeShikamaru, Ebil Chameleon, NazaliaSan, Crimson Mystery, AnimeFanatic223, tomboy14, sad little monkey, gaaraluver32294, MsADRiENNE, Flaming Beauty, Sasukes-girl08, Ginriku, The Reading Maid, sugarmonkey778, Hasamaki, x-p.a.t.t.y-x, sveta89, lala-sama, Kait, you.broke.a.promise, Jenny, kayla and Sakura12.

_Thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter!_


	20. Off the Hook

_A/N: Your reviews make my day! lol. I really, really enjoyed reading those. Really entertaining and funny! Made me laugh all the time! Part of me itched, wanting to tell you guys how I want to end this story (which still has a long, long way to go) but part of me screamed "No! Save it for the last!!" And I know people just hate spoilers so for now I just let you guys with your own imaginations, ya-ha!_

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**Chapter 20: Off the Hook**

_Flashback_

"Ino, dear…" A concern voice sounded from her right. "Are you okay? You look sick."

Swallowing the bitterness formed in her throat, Ino nodded convincingly and gave her parents her best smile. "Yeah, I'm alright. I just—" Her voice altered when a sudden rush of nausea made way to her mouth. Ino tried her best not to choke. "I—uh—I just…surprised! About all this, that's all…" And before her mother and father had a chance to ask more questions, Ino had stood up and hurrying to the door. "I think I left the water running. Sorry mom, dad—but I gotta go."

The journey home felt like years, as Ino struggling to keep her pace rapid ignoring the gurgling pit in her stomach. She was going to throw up again; she felt so sick. Stress only made her nausea worse. And not only that, she was in a verge of tears once again and she had to control herself from crying if she didn't want to be seen by people around.

She stormed into her apartment wildly and strode straight to the bathroom. After emptying her stomach, Ino knelt down for a while, catching her breath and calming her feelings. Just then she thought she had a perfect solution to her problem but why people kept on making it harder?

First of all she heard Shikamaru said that he didn't want to marry her. But that was okay, it hurt but she could bear it. And just forget it. And against her ego and her pride she offered herself to be the one who will do the proposal, get married whether or not Shikamaru agree.

But the new problem arose now was coming from an unexpected proposal and her father.

Which restrained Ino from believing that solving the pregnancy problem according to her plan was going to work.

Apparently it wasn't going to.

Because Shikamaru had no intention in keeping her and judging from his reaction about Shinkai's proposal, it was clear that he wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible—so she thought.

And her father wasn't a big help either. He declared he won't marry her to anybody unless he was ready to let go of her, which it seemed like a long way to go.

Ino was stuck.

A sudden noise suddenly erupted, startling her and Ino realized it was her stomach that produced such noise. Back at her parents' house, she only ate half of her bread and it wasn't surprising she was still hungry until now. Ino took the rumbling as a sign to get up and forget her misery for a while. She thought about it later after she feed her baby.

As she rumbled through her fridge, Ino noticed that there wasn't much to devour. Of course, she had not been in the house for two weeks—almost all the food was whether rotten or had reached its expiring date. With growing hunger, Ino checked every single drawer and still found nothing—anything she liked. But when she opened the cabinet above her head (of course she had to tilted her feet a little) and saw a box of cereal on the top shelf, lined with a few other stored food, a mysterious gleam appeared in her eyes like a predator to its prey and without a second thought, Ino moved to pick a chair and climb…

When Sakura came over for Ino's medical check up not too long after that, the pink-haired kunoichi let herself so easily into the small house, finding the door wasn't unlocked. She called her best friend's name and heard some noise in the kitchen and when she entered the said place, she was greeted with a shocking sight.

"Ino!" Sakura gasped, looking at the blonde wide-eyed. "What happened?!"

"Sakura…" The blue eyes stared back at her in similar fashion. "Help me…"

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"I was used to hear her screaming at me before—only Kami knows how many times—but none of it was as painful as this." Sakura heard the troubled voice as soon as she closed her bedroom door tightly behind her.

"I'm sorry."

Shikamaru casually shrugged, but his face remained as hard as stone. "I understand her situation. It must be hard for her. It's just—well, she's Ino." Sakura occupied a seat that facing him. "So," Shikamaru mouthed the closed door. "Is she okay?"

"She will be," Sakura assured. Shikamaru nodded, sighing with a hint of relief.

Though his meeting with Ino wasn't as pleasant as Shikamaru thought it will be, he collected his ruined dignity in no time. Never mind she yelled at him; just the sight of her beautiful face threw half of his tension away. Shikamaru was a skilled shinobi and above all that, he was one of the most rational. He could adapt to new environments quickly. And although the loss of their baby shattered a part of his soul, Shikamaru pulled himself altogether without showing much emotion. He had to be strong; he needed to be strong for Ino. If she was broken, then it was his responsibility to fix her.

But Sakura wasn't the one who easily fooled. Though it was hard to read someone's mind, almost impossible in fact, but she clearly knew how Shikamaru felt. It must be hard for him. And even though she told Ino that she was always on her side, but this time Sakura felt like switching sides.

Actually, she was torn between the two. Ino claimed Shikamaru had no special feelings for her which Sakura found it hard to believe because she saw the love clearly hidden underneath the expressionless mask Shikamaru wore. She didn't know who to support anymore, Ino or Shikamaru. She wanted to help Ino but she really thought that Shikamaru should be given a second chance.

"Ino told me about the proposal." She broke the stony silence between them.

Shikamaru tensed immediately. Uh-oh. Sakura was pinching a sore spot. He was reminded instantly about the reason he needed to see Ino as soon as possible; so that he could deliver his own proposal before Ino receive the other one—which he couldn't do now because of the new mess they were in. "Ino visited her family this morning and her mom told her all about it."

"Did she accept?" Shikamaru grimly asked.

Sakura instantly laughed. "Are you kidding me? Of course not!"

Hearing the kunoichi's answer, Shikamaru felt like a quarter of burdening weights was thrown off of his shoulders. "She _refused_ the proposal?"

"What makes you think Ino would _accept_ the proposal?"

"Because the guy is _so_ her type?" Sakura shot a look. "Well, he's kinda _good_ looking. Not to mention rich, popular and all…"

"Oh, come on, Shikamaru! You know Ino better than that! She'd gone past that stage!"

"Ino'd gone past that stage?" Shikamaru repeated, almost in disbelief. "Then why'd she still flirt with Sasuke and Sai and lots of other _cute_ boys around?" True, since Team Kakashi had succeeded in bringing Sasuke back to where he belong and Akatsuki or more specifically Uchiha Itachi was now a history, Ino was always on a roll to get her way with the Uchiha survivor every time she saw him on the street.

"Just for fun. In a way, you could see that she was practicing her acting skill. And not because of all that qualities Ino would accept the guy! I mean, she hardly knows him! Wouldn't it be awkward being married to a stranger?"

"They knew each other since they were little…" Shikamaru mumbled. "They used to be playmates, I heard."

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean Ino would welcome him with open arms! They haven't seen each other for a long, long time! Plus, did you think Ino's dad would allow her to marry at this young age?"

Shikamaru cringed. Oh, yeah.

Oh—shit.

"Uh, so Mr. Yamanaka said—No?"

"Yes, and declared he was not going to marry his daughter to anyone until she turn thirty—just kidding. Ino's father thought that Ino is too young to marry and claimed he still needs her by his side. Over-protective, isn't he?" Shikamaru couldn't help but agreed. "But once he found the perfect man for his daughter, Ino's off the hook!"

"Right, right…" Shikamaru muttered but his mind was flying everywhere. Inoichi was searching for a perfect man for Ino, huh? His head was beginning to hurt. So much for a perfectionist! Shikamaru was sure that Inoichi will still searching until Ino turn fifty if there was nobody around he thought would suit Ino—and his name certainly wasn't on the list. Not in a million years.

Not that Inoichi hated him or disliked him; he just didn't have a reason to flash even a small sign of affection towards him. Though Shikamaru knew that amongst Ino's male friends Inoichi only trusted him and Chouji, that didn't mean Inoichi approved her daughter's relationship more than just friends with any of them two. Inoichi always treated him the same since he was little until now; cold and formal, never more than that. And he never had been anything more than polite towards the blond man—although he had known his daughter for only Kami knows how long that a close bond should've existed somewhere…

Inoichi was kinda _sensitive_ to someone who was close to Ino (particularly males like him) and he was kinda _snappy_ to anybody who fancied his daughter. But then, when Ino announced she didn't feel like living with her parents anymore (despite her parents' strong disapproval) and told she had found a perfect place to live on her own (which located just two doors from his own), without Ino's knowing, Inoichi had come straight to see him and made him took an oath to take care of Ino and protect her from any harms and dangers.

It made Shikamaru felt he was a _little_ bit special in Inoichi's heart.

And at the same time a sour feeling occurred. Inoichi had trusted Ino into his care and Sakura had trusted him to bring Ino home safe and sound on that cursed night and he had violated those trusts—can't really blame the sake though. He had taken Ino, gave her his child and lost it in the process. If only he was a little bit careful then none of these had to happen. Ino wouldn't be broken-hearted.

And if Inoichi happen to know that he was actually the one who fathered his daughter's child, he, the one he put his whole trust on, then Shikamaru didn't know what kind of action would Inochi take to unleash the fiery rage inside of him. The blond man probably would…

Shikamaru shuddered. Inoichi would destroy _everything_.

And about his plan for their marriage…

Shikamaru was well aware that Ino's father was a quite traditional man, just like he was. So if he were to marry Ino, he'll make sure that they get the blessing from both parties—Ino's parents and his own. No blessing, no marriage because from his point of view, running away will only make things difficult, complicated and indeed troublesome.

Which he very much preferred a safe route: a blessed marriage.

But to think of that now, considering he had lost his potential rival and their baby as well, Shikamaru wondered whether or not he should propose. Not that he couldn't make Ino his without marrying her. And to tell the truth, he himself wasn't ready for such commitment at this young age. He felt like damned ready before only because he was afraid of losing her.

Their baby made him feel obligated about the responsibility he had to take and Shinkai Hajime acted as a catalyst—he sped up the process.

Now that both weren't in his way anymore and as far as he concerned, Ino wasn't going anywhere anytime soon so…

"So what I was going to say is," he heard Sakura was saying—he hadn't realized Sakura was babbling all the time he spaced out. "Now that you and Ino are no longer expecting a baby—I'm really, really sorry to say this—but don't you think we're all _safe_ now? I mean, we didn't have to keep that secret anymore. It's gone."

"Your point is—"

"Yep," Sakura nodded. "Now you and Ino are off the hook."

The last statement certainly had a nice ring to it.

Off the hook; that meant he and Ino were completely free from trouble. No more worrying about hiding the secret from society and no more worrying about what had to be done to solve that big problem. No stronger competitor against him in winning the place to be Ino's husband. No more.

It was like back to the old days.

Looking at the bright sight, Shikamaru knew the loss of their baby brought some hope. At least to him. But in what way?

He'll figure it out.

Soon.

**x**

_It wasn't his fault…_ Ino closed her eyes, letting the cool breeze from outside calmed her. The sudden row between her and Shikamaru took her mind off of the misery she was so drowned in earlier. _Sakura was right. I shouldn't be too harsh on him…_

She had thought of apologizing but in her opinion it would be stupid to do that now, just after she had yelled mercilessly at him. She was too proud to admit she was sorry that soon because usually it took her at least a day to forgive and forget. Besides, she couldn't move from the bed just yet, Sakura had forbidden her.

Ino didn't know, but somehow she was thinking the same thing Shikamaru was thinking. Well, they'd certainly been off the hook now. Despite how she hated to acknowledge, everything seemed back to normal.

They had nothing to begin with and in the end, they still got nothing.

What left were only her feelings for him.

She liked him so much, as a friend. And as time progressed, she'd learned to love him, ended up falling miserably in love with him. It was a fact, the truth. Shikamaru made her feel protected all the time, his presence comforted her. The feel of his body against her, holding her close through the night sent fuzzy, warm feelings into her heart.

But she messed things up. She hurt his feelings because she wanted him to feel how she felt. She wanted to pain him like he pained her. She wanted to break him, she wanted…she didn't know what she wanted anymore.

Ino wiped another angry tears rolled down her cheeks. _Oh, stop it!_ She was mad at herself. _Big girls don't cry so stop crying already! _

Shikamaru didn't want her and she was angry with that, yet she couldn't stop from wanting him. When Sakura told her he indeed loved her in return and somehow she could see the feelings concealed under his forlorn expression during their meeting earlier, her heart pounded so hard. It was just her imagination, Ino reasoned. But her selfishness wanted him to love her and not only that she wanted him to want her. She wanted him to want to marry her, to need her.

But she was stupid. She ruined everything. He had come to her but she pushed him away. She destroyed a chance for herself.

_Shikamaru_, Ino pleaded silently. _I'm sorry… I'm really, really sorry…_

If only she could make things right again. If only…

Ino didn't know this, didn't even cross her mind, even a slightest thought that they could start all over again.

**x**

"But we're not completely off the hook yet," Sakura spoke after calculating some possible circumstances. "I don't know how long Ino would take to return to normal. Her behavior will probably give people hints of what was going on and raise some curiosity, especially to people who is close to her—like her parents."

Shikamaru nodded, understood. He knew how Ino was in the midst of her emotional breakdown. She would act like an angry, injured lioness and won't let anyone come near her. Her mood was like a raging storm, and she'll explode if people push the wrong button. Not only that, she'll brood for a long, long time.

And Sakura was right about her parents. Surely they will figure out that something was wrong about their beloved daughter. And he couldn't risk letting them know.

"Oh, I don't know…" Shikamaru sighed. "My mind is rather fried right now. I couldn't think of anything. How are we going to keep Ino from the society? And most importantly, how are we going to keep her from missions? This is so troublesome…"

The silence hugged one miserable chuunin and a thinking kunoichi. "I think I have an idea." Sakura smiled brightly after a few moments of contemplating ideas and Shikamaru lightened up.

"What is it?" He asked eagerly.

"I'll make her my partner! And I desperately need one right now."

"Your partner?"

"Well, I've been doing a research recently, you know, about the possible new poisons and its cure." Shikamaru nodded. The research seemed important to Godaime because she hadn't assigned any mission for Sakura for the past few weeks. Though currently Konoha was in peace that meant them shinobi could sit around and do nothing, Tsunade insisted on keeping their eyes and ears alert for any danger to come, and be ready for anything. "A lot of experiments have to be done and I need a hand. Ino is the best person to help me."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Shikamaru agreed after considering it. "Not only the job could keep things out of her mind, you could also keep an eye on her all the time. Sakura, you're brilliant."

"Not only that," Sakura interjected with an amused grin. "I could keep Ino out of the society's eyes for a while. Her parents will believe me and shishou probably would not give her any mission until my research is over. We'll be in the lab for most times, here in my place or the forest. We'll be busy."

"Great." Shikamaru finally sank into the soft cushions behind his back, exhaling his relief. "The problem's settled for now."

"Yeah…" Sakura eyed him. "For now."

As Shikamaru closed his eyes and felt the exhaustion slowly left his body, his never retired brain worked on the possible hope he found. He included all that happened in his calculation and it didn't take too long for his genius to strike an answer.

He was back at the starting line and it was up to him to finish the race.

And Shikamaru was sure he only wanted one thing as a prize, which he swore to himself that he will win the race no matter what, and the prize happened to be a person whom he loved.

To win the race, he had to do everything he could.

Maybe wooing one Yamanaka Ino was a good start. Yeah, he'll do that.

…**to be continued.**

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_Sorry this chapter is sort of a filler. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Stay tuned for the next chappie! _

_Shikamaru/Ino handprints for:_ MsADRiENNE, The Reading Maid, x0x, aki-child, Perception117, bookworm816, Khlove, DemonLoulou, EnteringDangerZone, Yin's Crescent, Redenzione, The blackdash, angel0fdestiny, TroublesomeShikamaru, Crimson Mystery, Sasukes-girl08, sugarmonkey778, Kait, Wings-chan, x-p.a.t.t.y-x, Belizma-chan, chikarubunny, Elsie-neechan, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, DeidaraLovesMe, sad little monkey, sveta89, Kebire, Dark-Neko-Princess, NazaliaSan, you.broke.a.promise, AnimeFanatic223, Sakura12, UglyXXDuckling, Lady Kenley, sittinghere, imissmycupcake, Alexis of the Westlands, UlluoaNicanor, Shera-girl, MayumiNorika, Sakura Uchiha5433, fanficgeek, Sweete Mist, tomboy14, anime09, Jenny, rainoftears, abc, Ebil Chameleon, corky21492, dbzfan82, XFamousXLastXWordsX, BellaRose, braindamage730, zzTroublesomezz and Hatori's Chik.

_Thank you so much for not shooting me! Uh, I mean thanks for the reviews!_


	21. The 'Talk'

_A/N: Uh, my muse left me for a __holiday__ so forgive me if this chapter was badly written. I also have a short writer's block that's why this chapter comes out so late._

_This chapter is dedicated to __Kait__ for being my __800th__ reviewer for I'm Sorry, Shikamaru. Woohoo! And I have a surprise for you guys. This is my most reviewed story so I feel like giving out reward! So whoever appears to be my __1000th reviewer__ I will grant his/her wish of a oneshot. Any pairing but only based on Naruto characters! This is the only way I can express my gratitude and how lucky I am to be the writer of this story! So keep the reviews comin'!_

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**Chapter 21: The "Talk"**

But it won't be anything too drastic in the beginning, wooing Ino, because she was heavily broken and needed a fix.

And Shikamaru's strategy to fix her would be making Ino a happy, cheery, lively woman like she always was. He will follow her every demand, give her everything she wanted, desired, everything she asked of him just like the old days. He will try his hardest to return their lives, their current situation back to normal.

And normal meant their relationship still remain at friendship level.

* * *

Despite his exhaustion from journey and cleaning up the crime scene just before he went to sleep, Shikamaru woke early in the morning. And noting the time was still too early to go to Sakura's house, he wandered around his own for a quick cleanup before jumping into the shower. 

The walk from his flat to Sakura's quarters seemed like endless, yet when he arrived it was still fairly early. Sakura even hadn't had a bath when she welcomed him in.

"She's still asleep." She informed in a low voice, regarding to Ino's status at the moment. A slight disappointment crept into Shikamaru's heart but he asked instead, "Can I just go see her?"

Sakura seemed to be thinking before nodded, agreeing nonetheless with his request. "Okay, but don't risk waking her up."

"I try." Shikamaru answered briefly and disappeared into the room.

Ino was sleeping as Sakura previously claimed; lying on her side facing the window, the blanket covered her body from chin under to toe. Her glorious blond locks spilled free on the pillows and the sheets and it was the most beautiful thing Shikamaru had ever seen since the beginning of the day.

He walked towards her in small, light steps, so as not to wake her. He rounded the bed and stopped just in front of her, watching her close and felt a tug in his heart.

Ino's sleeping face was so peaceful and calm, so carefree like she didn't have any worries in the world. She looked like an angel, so shining and bright in the midst of faint morning sunlight that shyly seeped into the room. So pure, so beautiful…

So, so alluring.

Shikamaru wanted to kiss her.

But instead of landing his lips on hers, he bent down only slightly to kiss her forehead.

"Get well soon," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Ino grunted in her sleep as if responding to his words but muted still.

Shikamaru could spend all day just standing there watching her but a sudden burst into the room snapped him out of his reverie. Sakura looked like she was in a rush and was waving, asking him to get out immediately.

"I just got a message." She spoke in voice as low as possible even though the door was closed. "Tsunade-shishou needs me at her office right now and I need to get ready. But I cannot do that if you're here. I mean—"

Shikamaru held up his hand, cutting her off. "No, it's alright. I understand. I just—come back a little later, okay?" Sakura didn't have a bathroom adjacent to her bedroom so it was difficult for her to get ready with a male presence in the house.

She expressed a grateful smile. "Thanks, Shikamaru. But I'm going to lock the door when I go out so when you come back, you just knock okay? I'm sure Ino's up by that time."

"Okay." Shikamaru nodded, walking out. "I'll be back."

**x**

His plan on getting back to Sakura's house after having some nice breakfast at Ichiraku Ramen was ruined, however, when suddenly the famous chuunin teacher, Umino Iruka appeared right in front of his eyes. "Thank Kami-sama I found you here, Shikamaru!" Iruka exhaled gratefully as he shot Shikamaru a desperate look. "I have a favor to ask you. Just now I was called for a mission and I have to leave right away. So can you fill me in?"

Before Shikamaru had a chance to answer, Iruka had already run towards gate, looking at him past his shoulder and waved, shouting "Thanks, Shikamaru! I know I can count on you!" leaving Shikamaru dumbstruck in the middle of the street with his mouth hung, wordless.

If there wasn't a particular blonde causing heavy traffic in his mind, then Shikamaru had no problem replacing Iruka. Anytime. Because that was his role since he was appointed chuunin. And he was used replacing the teachers so it wasn't a problem at all. He just had to ask the students about their current lesson and continue where the previous teacher had left of. But now, when he had Ino calling him every second, he almost didn't make it to the Academy.

But of course he made it. There was no way he would stand up Iruka. It was irresponsible in his opinion so against what his heart screamed at that time, Shikamaru followed his rational mind and took over Iruka's role for the day. And while teaching (half-heartedly), he never stopped thinking about Ino, so much that he almost made himself doing a magic trick to the kids: disappear.

**x**

It was almost the same time he arrived yesterday Shikamaru had a chance to escape from the hectic activities that plagued him since morning. Just after class, he was called for a sudden meeting to discuss about the arrival of the other villages' ambassadors in a few more days. In less than two weeks, the official board meeting for the Chuunin exam will be held in Konoha to discuss about the final preparations for the exam. New month was approaching, meaning summer was almost over and by the end of summer the grand Chuunin exam will begin. Konoha will be very, very busy.

So after the meeting ended, Shikamaru hurriedly went home, grabbed something to eat in the middle of his journey, take shower as fast as he could, get dressed and in a flash, he was already knocking on Sakura's door.

The rosette-haired kunoichi opened the door and Shikamaru noticed that she was about to go out. "Come in," Sakura greeted, stepping aside to make room for him to enter. "Ino told me you haven't come back since you stop by this morning and I didn't see you around either. Where have you been?"

"Academy." Shikamaru answered shortly, eyeing her outfit. Though Sakura was dressed in her usual gear, there was something flashy about her that night. "I had to fill in for Iruka-sensei then after that I was stuck with a sudden meeting for the Chuunin exam for almost two hours. Going somewhere?"

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, I'm going to see Naruto and Sasuke-kun. They just came back from their mission. It's been so long since I last saw them. We have a lot to catch up." Giving Shikamaru a wink, Sakura walked out the door, speaking in a low voice, "I'll be back late so you can have the house with Ino alone. She's inside. I'm not really sure but I think she's ready to talk to you."

"Sakura, I could've kissed you." Shikamaru beamed gratefully at her.

Sakura chuckled. "Oh, please don't. You only make _things_ more complicated." Before the door fully closed, she leaned in, "Don't waste the night, Shikamaru. Make it right, okay?"

His grin assured her that there was nothing to worry about.

**x**

Ino wasn't asleep as Shikamaru had originally predicted, instead, she was leaning against the headboard with a soft pillow behind her, dressed in Sakura's pajama and covered in blanket, head turning to her right, eyes staring at the street lamp outside.

It seemed like she was waiting for him.

Shikamaru walked slowly towards her, as his heart drummed nervously against his ribcage. He didn't know why; it just pounded heavily. Maybe it was because of the moment he had been waiting for. For what? To propose? Nah, the intention had long gone though he still desperately wanted to make her his. But without tying the knot—for now. He wasn't ready yet and of course she was, too. They both were still young, innocent, naïve. And for what other reason he came to her? To apologize about the loss? To comfort her? To mourn together with her?

_To start all over again._

It was going to be a long journey and _hard_, but Shikamaru was determined to rewind the time. He'll bring back Ino to where before all this misery began; the night at the Sakura festival. They'll return to where their friendship bond was at the strongest and continue from there. He'll try hard to upgrade their relationship—with Ino reciprocate his feelings, of course.

Because Shikamaru believed that they couldn't get the highs unless they get the lows (1).

The room was dark without lights. He found it ironic though, he never thought that Ino would like to keep herself in the dark, in the shadow. She was more suited in open places, like under the wide open blue sky and bathed in warm rays of sunshine, all eyes on her. She was rambunctious as a child and still rambunctious even she had grown up. She was always the center of attention because she was loud, bubbly and bossy. Shadows and silence didn't suit her at all; it was most likely his nature.

And he hated to see her so down like that.

Ino turned her head towards him when he was near and he was no longer regarded with icy looks she had sent him before. It was calmer and softer.

"Hey…" Shikamaru stood by the bed, didn't know exactly what to do once he was a meter away from her. The open window was at his back and finally he chose to lean against the wall beside it.

"Hey…" Ino's soft voice sounded so melodic. Shikamaru barely make out her expression with so little light illuminating her face but he assumed she was far better than yesterday. There were no wrinkles of frown on her forehead, her eyes were no longer blasted with anger and she was no longer tightening her jaws. It seemed like she had cool down—for the moment. They remained looking at each other with pregnant silence surrounded them as both didn't have a clue what to say first—to break the ice.

But at last Ino gave up in their eye battle and lowered her gaze to her covered feet, starting the 'talk'. "I yelled at you yesterday," she began, her fingers smoothed the wrinkles of her blanket. "I shouldn't—I didn't mean it…"

"It's okay." Shikamaru beat her before she could say something more. He knew she was going to apologize but he didn't want her to. Yelling at him had been her nature since forever so there was nothing to apologize for in the first place. Maybe she thought she had been rude at him but it wasn't her fault, really. She was just so sad. And hurt. "It's not like you never yelled at me before." Shikamaru spoke in a carefree tone, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "Somehow I get used to it."

And his method work—or so he thought. He saw Ino smiled a little, nodding her head before her smile faded away quickly.

_He must've think I'm a horrible woman_, Ino thought, feeling bad at herself. This wasn't the impression she wanted to give Shikamaru after acting so badly towards him yesterday.

_Uh-oh. Did I say something wrong?_ Shikamaru panicked. Was there still a trace of fury left inside her? Or maybe there was something wrong with her hormones… She could yell at him again if that method could make her feel better. Heck, she could even hit him with the pillows—or anything.

"So…" Both spoke at the same time. Shikamaru held his breath and Ino shut up. The situation was so awkward, they felt like strangers.

"So we lost it…" Shikamaru spoke at last, continuing what he wanted to say. He was a man who hated complications so he thought it was best if he go straight to the point.

Ino nodded, pain expression marring her face. "Yeah, we—lost it." She was silent once again before blurting out, "It was entirely my fault."

"No, Ino…" Shikamaru protested but Ino was fast cutting his words.

"It was obviously _my_ fault, Shikamaru." Her voice was firm but it was barely heard. Like Ino was whispering. "I could save myself—I know I could save myself from falling. I'm a ninja. I have good reflexes but—" Ino's breath started to get wild as the bitter feelings filled her chest. "It happened so fast. And the next thing I know it—the baby just—_gone_."

"Ino…"

"I don't know how you feel about—_this_ but I guess I owe you an apology." Ino looked at him and Shikamaru noticed tears were brimming in her eyes. "Shikamaru, I—"

"Shh… Ino, it's okay." She was going to cry again and he most certainly wasn't going to allow her. He couldn't bear to see her cry, especially when he was the one who make her. "I'm not mad at you for losing it, if that's what you're thinking." He murmured softly. "I don't mind, _I don't care_. As long as you're safe, it's all matters to me."

Ino drifted her gaze to his face. Through her blurry vision, it was hard for her to see his face clearly but she could make out that he was expressing a small, sincere smile. So Shikamaru was not mad at her as he previously claimed. But he didn't look either sad or happy. He was just…worried?

About her? "Shikamaru…"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me how you feel—how you really, _really_ feel about…" She left her words unfinished because she was sure Shikamaru knew what she meant.

He looked quite serious. "How I really feel?" Ino nodded, suddenly afraid of what his answer will be.

"You really want to know? The truth?" Shikamaru studied her expression and hoped his answer didn't make her kill him. Ino just sat staring at him, silently urging him to speak.

"Relief."

Ino didn't know how to react after hearing _that_ but coming from someone like Shikamaru, it wasn't surprising at all. Of course for him losing the baby was a relief! What else should he feel?

She couldn't lie to herself that she was extremely disappointed at his lack of emotions. So the baby meant nothing to him at all, as well as her, the mother. He'd told her once that he didn't want the baby, remember? But she thought after unofficially living together for almost a month had changed that and apparently it didn't. And why'd he even bothered finding a name for their baby anyway? Maybe he just wanted to make her happy, by _pretending_…

Ino lowered her head, tears falling like rain now, unstoppable because she just mad at herself for not being able to let go the crazy rampant inside her head. Her grudging nature started to rewind the past and she cried harder. Oh, why was she so prejudice towards him? Why couldn't she just let him say anything without her feeling angry? Why couldn't she let everything go? Wasn't it good to leave the bad and have a fresh start?

And it wasn't exactly his fault for not wanting the baby. He didn't ask for it, she didn't ask for it. And she had no right in making him feel the same way she felt towards the gift from Heaven. That would be wrong; she never liked troubling him with anything or responsibilities he didn't want, though she did bothered him every now and then just for fun. And now, after the burden on his shoulders was lifted, she was supposed to feel at least glad for she was no longer his troublesome issue. She was supposed to share his relief, but instead, she felt betrayed by his innocent word.

Was she only the one who felt it? The pain, the misery?

"He-hey…" Shikamaru caught off guard, witnessing the scene in front of his eyes. "Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?" He silently breathed 'How troublesome' under his breath, though he didn't mean so.

Ino shook her head in dismay. No matter how much pain Shikamaru caused her, she still felt such a longing towards him. She missed the hug he gave her, she missed his full attention on her. She missed him in her house, and she still missed him even though he was just inches away. Shikamaru shifted and she tensed, afraid that he was tired or _sick_ of her emotional state or maybe he just wanted to give her some personal space to cool off and decided to leave her alone just like she requested yesterday.

But she didn't want him to leave her.

"Shikamaru…" Ino whined his name before he even had a chance to move at all. And the guy whose name was spoken paused in his stance, waiting in horror for whatever she wanted to say. She was badly crying and he never felt terrified in his life witnessing the teary kunoichi.

But Ino spoke no more, having caught in her terrible sobs. Shikamaru counted the seconds, wishing for her to stop any moment because he was getting uneasy little by little. He cursed himself for unable to do anything to dry her tears and not to mention _he_ was the one who caused it…

"Uh, I'm sorry if I said something that offends you, Ino…"

"No, it's not that." Ino gingerly shook. "I—I have my own issues…"

"Then what is it? Care to discuss it with me?"

Ino held her breath. The fact that she loved him was at the tip of her tongue. She wanted to tell him, her heart screamed for her to tell him but she was afraid he didn't feel the same way. Sakura cannot be trusted. Shikamaru was just worried, _cared_, not actually _loved_ her.

And not only that, she also wanted to pour all her frustrations towards him that had been building up since she eavesdrop his conversation with Chouji at the rooftop.

But no, she couldn't risk letting him know. All her issues, because it might push him further _away_.

"It's okay. I can take care of it myself." Ino shakily whispered. _For how long?_ She asked herself. _Until someone steal him away?_

Shikamaru was silent for a moment, busily figuring what her issues would be. Well, it must be about the baby, he concluded. What else? Never did it occur in his mind that _he_ actually was the root of her issues. "Hey, Ino… Don't think about it much. If you look at the bright side, this situation actually helps us, _saves_ us. We're no longer keeping the secret. It's gone." _But I still can give you more babies if you want to. _

"In a way it is." Ino meekly agreed and her tears that once had stopped were shed again as a heavy feeling pounded on her chest. "So what should we do now?" Her voice came out as a whisper as she held her sobs.

"Nothing much. We just return to our normal lives." Shikamaru suggested. "We'll start all over again…"

And Ino tensed, her breath catch. Start all over again like—like nothing ever happened?!

Maybe he could but could she do that?

"Oh, I don't know, Shikamaru…" Ino burst out wailing. "I don't know if I can do that… I cannot do anything without thinking—without thinking about… Oh, geez I am such a wimp! I couldn't go on like this! I feel like I want to die!" More heavy sobs followed. "And what if my parents know about—this?! I cannot face them, Shikamaru! What should I do?!!"

Now Shikamaru had his eyes wide open, fixed intently at hysterical Ino. Dear Kami, he didn't know how to react to _that_. That was the most disturbing sight of Ino crying and blaming herself and losing her sanity. He was so shocked that he forgot to breathe. Oh, was it because of him? Did he say something stupid again?

In the middle of his dilemma, Sakura's voice echoed in his ears. _"Don't waste the night, Shikamaru. Make it right, okay?" _She'd said. And he'd assured her that there was nothing to worry about. Yet there he was…involuntarily creating a _disaster_…

Before Shikamaru could figure out how to respond to that matter, or more specifically how to calm Ino down before she lose herself even more, his feet acted like they had a mind of their own. He strode towards her and in seconds, he did what he was supposed to do the first moment he saw her cry…

He closed the gap between them, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Ino was so surprised that her eyes grew wide at his action and a gasp escaped her mouth. For once, her misery forgotten and her crying stopped. The heat of Shikamaru's body quickly radiating to her skin and the faint smell of his after shower filled her nostrils in just a single inhale. His arms were wrapped firmly around her form and his face was buried into the crook of her neck, her hair. Ino could feel the broad expanse of his chest slightly crashing her but she won't break so she closed her eyes, melting into his arms.

"Don't cry…" Shikamaru spoke through the masses of hair he buried his face into. His voice was small and full of fear. "You know I hate to see you cry… Please stop crying, Ino… Just stop, okay?"

If there was anything to stop her tears, then it had to be Shikamaru. Quite the contrary though, _he_ was the one who cause it, yet _he_ was the only one who could stop it. Ino raised her hands, circling his torso as she returned the comfort he gave her. This was Shikamaru she knew; a gentle and caring friend. A friend that she wasn't going to lose any time, a friend that will be with her to the end.

Just a _friend_.

"Don't worry about all that. Your parents aren't going to find out, I promise. I'll take care of you, I'll protect you. I'll be with you to the end. We'll go through this together. I know this is hard to endure, but I am here with you. So don't be afraid." Shikamaru took a deep breath and slowly raised his hand to stroke her hair. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you in this alone. Because Ino, I—"

Inhaling Ino's sweet scent, Shikamaru felt himself falling apart. It was hard for him being so close to her like this. It was dizzying, intoxicating. His chest wanted to burst. He wanted to confess what he truly felt for her but he was afraid that it will hurt her more. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if she only saw him as a friend? He didn't want to upset her, make her cry again. Knowing Ino, he knew that she'll try not to disappoint him but he didn't want her _lying_ to herself…

"Ino, I—" Shikamaru swallowed hard and tightened his arms around her form. "I—I really, really _cared_ about you, you know that right?" There, Shikamaru managed to control his mouth from blurting out 'I love you' with shaken voice. For a moment Ino was static in his arms as she waited the words sink in her mind. "So don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll protect you, I'll take care of you…"

And Ino broke his sentences by bursting into tears once again. "Shikamaru… Oh, Shikamaru!" Her sobs grew wilder, and no matter how tight Shikamaru had her in his arms, Ino could still shake out of control. How she wanted to confess her feelings for him this very moment but she just can't! She was afraid of his reaction, she didn't want him to freak out. A troublesome girl was fancying him, how was he supposed to handle that? "Shikamaru, I—I…" Ino bit her tongue. "I _know_…"

There, like Shikamaru she also able to stop herself before the confession slipped out of her tongue. Both were afraid of other's reaction, both were afraid of the distance between them will grow if the truth been told. But both didn't know and aware, that their so-called fear was something that will give them more difficulties and complications in later future…

But they say nothing more after that, regarding to Ino's continuing sobs and Shikamaru trying his hardest to make her stop crying. He didn't let go of her, instead, he cradled her in his arms like a baby, whispering soothing words in her ear. And as Ino clutched tight a handful of cloth in both fists, burying her face in his chest, she said something that she meant to say ever since Shikamaru entered the room

"Shikamaru, I'm sorry…" She apologized whole-heartedly while shaking helplessly. "I'm really, really sorry…"

Shikamaru sighed. Looks like the wooing had to wait for a while. Then again, they still have a long way to go. Drastic measures weren't needed for the moment, just one step at a time.

And the night passed with them holding each other in a tight embrace, with Ino chanted "I'm sorry, Shikamaru" over and over again, and Shikamaru, being unable to stop her just listened and listened and listened until the crying angel fell asleep, tired, in his arms.

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_(1) Quoting Kelly Clarkson. _

_Ah… I'm so glad I've finished this chapter! Boy was it so hard! I hope you guys will satisfied with—er—their 'talk'. Tell me it wasn't depressing! Heheh… Just kidding. I'm an angst lover that's why I love making angsty scenes O.o_

_If you noticed, this chapter is a little bit longer than the rest. I made it on purpose. I may not be able to update as soon as possible because starting next week, I'll be busy with my graduation. Yay! I'm going to receive my Degree soon! My Chemistry Degree! __Chemistry!__ Can you believe that? Oh, I'm so hype!_

_So just wait for my next update, okay? It will be sooner or later, depends. But I will try to update as quickly as possible._

_Invitations for my graduation party for:_ sittinghere, x0x, Ginriku, Redenzione, Hasamaki, rainoftears, The blackdash, you.broke.a.promise, angel0fdestiny, SaraDJ, Wings-chan, gaaraluver32294, sugarmonkey778, TroublesomeShikamaru, The Reading Maid, sveta89, Sasukes-girl08, Crimson Mystery, sad little monkey, XFamousXLastXWordsX, Spread-My-Wingsz-And-Soar, wonderwoman29, Nemrut, AnimeFanatic223, Khlove, chikarubunny, tomboy14, Kait, zzTroublesomezz, braindamage730, anime09, Sakura12, Jenny, x-p.a.t.t.y-x, Sweete Mist, dbzfan82, Elsie-neechan, fanficgeek, Lizabeth-Marie, Lady Kenley, NazaliaSan, Astra M, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks and Ebil Chameleon.

_Have fun, guys! And thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter!_


	22. An Unexpected Mission

_A/N: Hello, I'm back! (glad to say that) I've missed you all! _

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**Chapter 22: An Unexpected Mission**

Entering August, ten days had passed since then and a lot of things had happened.

To Shikamaru and Sakura's surprise, Ino's recovery was rather fast from their original prediction. She was no longer brooding, she rarely cried and she was being nice to people everywhere she went. Twinkles return to her eyes, actual blush colored her cheeks and there was warmth in her smile. Shikamaru could never feel anymore relief.

Though this phenomena amazed him, he was also feeling a little bit disappointed. It was such a loss for him, for not being able to spend time with her as much as he wanted to. The ambassadors from the ninja villages had arrived since yesterday and he, like the others who were involved in the Chuunin Exam was extremely busy; loads of work to do everyday, lots of people to meet each and every second. Shikamaru only managed to see Ino when they met on the street, or coincidently bumped into each other at the Hokage's office.

Of course, because Ino was busy as well. Since she got out of the sickbed, she'd been with Sakura almost all the time. They left early in the morning to require a large number of herbs and medicinal plants, and spent the entire day at the hospital, in the laboratory; mixing ingredients, doing experiments, studying notes every now and then. When Ino wasn't doing research, she tended the patients or learned some more medics from the superior medic-nins, anything to keep herself busy.

And she never came home anymore.

Shikamaru knew; her house was haunting her. Ino couldn't bring herself near the flat, it was a trauma. So she decided to live with Sakura and thought it was best that way. Shikamaru partly agreed. Without Ino as his next door neighbor, he missed the chance to get closer to her. He was no longer could spend his time in her house, napping or interrupting her during mealtime. And she never visited him again whenever she was bored.

But things were not bad as it seems for them two. Somehow after the night in each other's arms, their relationship was back to normal. Warm greetings whenever they met, big smile and some jokes or sort exchanged after that. Too bad they couldn't spend more than fifteen minutes together, if not…

Shikamaru sighed, focusing his attention back to the talking Suna Jounin in front. He'd lost track of what they were discussing right then, for thinking about a certain blonde _again_.

There was something troubling him, however…

No matter how much he and Ino had grown closer than they were before, somehow deep in Shikamaru's heart, it felt as if they've grown farther apart. He'd started his _plan_ by paying her compliments; commented her hair, clothes and all though it wasn't exactly obvious, he acted _much_ nicer to her than he was before, and somehow he could see that Ino reciprocated his efforts. She acted completely different than she usually was whenever they were together; no yelling, no teasing, no bossing. Sometimes she threw a fit of giggles whenever he mentioned something funny, and acted all _girly_ around him.

And that was just weird.

The feeling of being somebody else was disturbing. Acting like strangers—out of character was never his actual plan and he didn't particularly like it. But he tried to enjoy it though and later had to admit that the result coming from all those actions was absolutely _satisfying_.

**x**

Right at the heart of Konoha, specifically inside a famous flower shop, Ino was found sitting in the kitchen.

Her mother, a gorgeous and wonderful woman was stirring something on the stove. A delicious smell of chicken stew came out from a small hole on the lid, making Ino's mouth watered second by second.

"You look cheery, sweetie." Her mother commented, glancing at her. "Something good happens to you lately?"

The happy expression Ino bored altered immediately by the question but she gathered herself in no time. There was no way she'd show her pain to her mother, or to everyone. So far, she managed hiding her actual feelings from everybody, even to Sakura and Shikamaru. She didn't want to appear weak in their eyes, especially _him_.

She'd swear to herself that she won't be the same old Yamanaka Ino the day she left the sickbed. She won't be as clingy and bossy as she was before, and she'll try hard not to be troublesome to a certain someone. If Shikamaru wanted to marry an average girl, average she will be. She'll show him that _she_ actually fit in his life.

Like Shikamaru, she got her own plans too.

"Not really. I just feel good, that's all." Ino spoke nonchalantly as she paid her mother an impatient stare. She really wanted that chicken stew _now_.

"So I've noticed." Inoichi walked into the kitchen and stole an apple from the fruit basket on the table, wrinkling his brows. "And you really, really look…happy."

Ino's mother rolled her eyes. "Oh, shush dear…"

"It's true!" Inoichi took a bite from his apple. "Just look at her!"

Ino copied her mother's eye rolling. "Is there something _wrong_ with me, Daddy?"

"Yeah! You're… Sheesh! You look really _happy_, that's all." Inoichi tried not to make a fuss about a discovery he found on his darling daughter.

"You mean I look really _healthy,_ no?" Ino glared. She pointed at herself. "Do you think it's a problem?"

"Of course not, dear…" Her mother quickly intruded. "You look fine."

"Yeah, _fine_." Inoichi made a face. He studied her daughter's figure. Ino was wearing an empire-waist spaghetti strap top in lavender with matching shorts. Her hair was pulled back in its usual high ponytail, leaving some strands in front covered half of her face. It was an image of a typical Ino, except she appeared a little bit different than usual.

"But you're not being _yourself_." Inoichi continued, finishing his apple and took a seat across Ino. Not that he complaining—actually he thought the slight change was good—but he couldn't help but admit it was disturbing. The kunoichi frowned. "You're…eating a little bit _too_ much lately."

"Daddy, are you saying I'm _fat_?" Ino narrowed her eyes.

"No, no!" Inoichi quickly raised his hands in defensive mode. Even he was afraid of Ino's upcoming wrath. "It's just that…err…you're…you're looking a little bit—"

"A little bit what?" Ino's tone was getting more dangerous.

"A little bit…_thick_?"

"Thick? You're just saying I'm fat!" Ino stood up. "I'm _not_ fat!"

Now you may found it hard to believe but it was true.

Let's get a few snapshots of the past, shall we?

It was the day after the 'talk' and we could see Ino was strolling on the grounds outside Sakura's quarters early in the morning.

She was wearing a white cotton summer dress belonged to Sakura and her feet were covered in cute slippers also Sakura's. Her hair was down and her face was a little bit pale and swollen from crying but all in all, she appeared as usually breathtaking. She was alone; Shikamaru or Sakura wasn't with her. Due to a sudden call from the Chuunin exam committee, Shikamaru headed to the Academy as soon as possible (about twenty minutes ago) after breakfast and Sakura decided to give her a few moments alone before dragging her along to the forest and start collecting herbs.

So Ino wandered along the street and came to rest on a stone bench she found after feeling a little bit tired. She tried not to think about the series of unfortunate events that had happened to her lately in order to keep herself out of breakdown. She didn't want to cry anymore.

Just when she was thinking about some happy moments around her childhood years, someone went to her in an incredible speed.

Her old teammate, Akimichi Chouji came into a halt when he was about two feet away from her.

"I heard it," he panted, catching his breath. He appeared smudgy and sweaty, as if he just came back from mission and he actually was. "I came across Shikamaru on my way home and he told me all about it."

Noticing the cold fury mixed with agony rose in the depth of Ino's sky blue eyes, Chouji quickly held up his hands on defense. "I hope you don't mind him telling me! _I_ asked him! I know all about it, Ino! I knew that you and him—I'm…I'm sorry!"

Seeing Chouji's body shaking with fear, Ino controlled herself from screaming at him. She had just successfully forgotten the unfortunate things, why he would have to bring it up to her face again?

"It's my entire fault…" Chouji expressed an apologetic expression. "If only I refuse the mission Hokage-same had given me, surely I would've…protect you."

"What?" Ino whispered, confused.

"Shikamaru…" Chouji bit his bottom lip. "Before he went to his mission, he asked me to take care of you while he was gone—once you come back. But you both had been gone for so long and I thought that he'll be here the moment you return, so I took a mission. I never imagined that you would come home as soon as I left and…and…"

Ino closed her eyes.

"I mean…" Chouji started to stutter, the look of terror never left his face. "If I were here, then I would be by your side, wouldn't I? Then—then you don't have to…don't have to…"

"Chouji, it's okay." Ino cut him, a tear slid down her cheek.

"No, Ino! It's my fault that you—!"

"It's okay." Ino put an arm on his fat shoulder, flashing a bitter smile. "I don't blame you. It's _my_ carelessness. _My_ mistake."

"But, Ino—!"

"I don't want to discuss it, Chouji." Ino gritted her teeth grimly. "Just…just drop it, okay?" She rolled her eyes upward to the sky and heaved a heavy sigh, quickly brushing her tear. "I'll get over it."

Chouji stood in front of her, stunned at how calm she handled the experience but knew instantly that she was faking it. Her full lips were pursed and slightly trembled controlling her beginning tears, her knuckles were white in holding her emotions from leaking out so desperately. Slowly Chouji sat down beside her on the bench and slid an arm around her slim form and pulled her into a friendly, comforting hug.

And Ino broke down once again. Sobbing madly to Chouji's chest ignoring his clothes was soaked with sweat, Ino let out her frustrations with all her might. She cried and cried and cried, gripping a handful of damp cloths so tightly in her palms. Chouji, on the other hand didn't know what to do just keep his arms securely around her shaking form, hoping that no one would come across them, especially one Yamanaka Inoichi.

"Ino, I'm sorry…" He muttered softly. "So sorry…it must be hard for you. I wish I could do something to cheer you up—" Just then a brilliant thought struck his mind and Chouji immediately broke their contact and stood up, making a wailing blonde put her cries into a halt and staring at him questioningly.

"I know what could make you smile again and forget all these messes!" The fat chuunin seemed awed by himself. "You wait here, okay?" Then he disappeared with a blur and came back several minutes later.

Ino gaped at him, her tears still on her cheeks. Chouji was standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear and seemed like hiding something behind his back. Ino eyed him curiously.

"Ta daa!" Chouji shoved something into the blonde's hands. Something nice and cold.

"Ice cream?" Ino knitted her brows. Somehow her misery forgotten.

"Yeah, ice cream!" Chouji started licking his own and made a gesture for her to start licking her own before it melt. "I know you don't usually eat ice cream, Ino but trust me ice creams are really good to overcome sadness!"

Ino stared at the ice cream in her hand as if it was a foreign object. Due to her strict dieting along her teenage years, she barely got her hands on it. Her meals were basically consisted of healthy food that made her almost a vegetarian. "R—really?"

"Yeah! And not just ice creams, _all_ food considers as injection of happiness. Once you have a couple down your stomach, you'll be as good as new! Now eat your ice cream and you'll feel a lot better!"

Chouji sounded so convincing and he looked very eager Ino could award him something. So hesitantly Ino licked her ice cream and as the rich sweetness savored her tongue, something soared inside her. She had forgotten how it tasted like and she was surprised at how the cold thing made her feel. Ino took a second lick and as she did so, a fat tear rolled down her cheek.

"Ino?" Chouji gazed worriedly. Ice cream was supposed to make her happy, was it not? "Is something—"

"No, everything's alright." Ino sniffed, continuing to taste. She stared on the ground in front of them and Chouji saw that her eyes were full of wonders. "It's really good, Chouji. Honestly. You're right. Ice cream does make me feel better, much better."

"Not just ice cream," Chouji grinned. "But all food in the world!"

And for the first time in days, Ino laughed merrily.

So, thanks to Chouji, she now gained a few pounds heavier on the bathroom scales.

Ino's mother came hurrying to the table, placing a bowl of chicken stew carefully in front of Ino and remained between them after that. "You're not fat, dear." She smiled assuringly at her daughter. "In fact, I think you look good that way. Daddy just not used to your new form—er, figure, that's all." She glared at Inoichi. "And aren't you glad Ino look _a lot_ healthier?"

Inoichi bit his tongue. Ino looked outraged and his wife was as scary.

"'course I'm glad," he finally admitted. "But like you said, I'm just not used to it."

"Well, you better get used to it, daddy." Ino returned to her chair furiously and gave her father a glare before attacking her chicken stew. "'cause food makes me happy!"

"If I don't know better, I say Chouji must've got something to do with it." Inoichi asked her wife the same chicken stew Ino was having, watching her daughter. "But guess I should count my blessing. They'll be fewer boys knocking on my doorstep now."

Ino hid her smile. Her plan was going to work, she knew.

**x**

"Sakura?" Shikamaru checked the lab only to find the pink-haired medic was the only person there. The blonde who haunted his thoughts all day had disappeared.

"Yeah, Shikamaru?" Sakura asked although she already knew what exactly the guy wanted.

"Ino?"

"She's out," said Sakura simply, sparing her attention back to the mixture she was stirring. "She got bored and said all these smells make her sick so she decided to go out for a while."

"Then do you know where—?"

"Of course. I think she's at the Yamamoto resident by now." Shikamaru frowned at that and the look was caught by Sakura who was casually glancing at him. "Is the meeting over?"

"Oh, yeah. For a while. I got a few hours off before another one so I thought I drop by and see Ino." Shikamaru eyed the messy table, noticing that some work was left half-done, probably Ino's work. His eyebrows arched high seeing some snacks scattered messily there too but made no comment. He'd already know Ino's new habit (although shocked him greatly at first) but after Chouji explained it to him, he understood. He didn't really care as long as it made her happy and she actually looked good having a bit meat on her than her being skinny.

But if Ino continued her new eating regime carelessly, surely in short moments her body would double its size, perhaps triple. Shikamaru tried to imagine a very plump Ino and though the image was rather funny, it didn't change his feelings towards her.

"What she's doing at the Yamamoto?"

"Like I said, she got bored. So she went out to see shishou and shishou gave her a mission." Sakura carefully inserted some orange powder into her mixture.

"A mission?!" Shikamaru's eyes were big. "But don't we—"

"I know, I know…" Sakura cut him off. "I've told her but she just won't listen to me. Don't worry. The mission is really simple."

"D-rank? C-rank? What is it anyway?"

Sakura sighed. "Nothing dangerous. She just has to do a…babysitting job."

The news surely jolted Shikamaru. "Babysit?! But could she—"

"Oh, don't worry…" Sakura waved a hand. "If Ino said she could do it, she could."

"But don't she—"

"Well, we couldn't expect her to mourn forever, could we? I don't know… It's _Ino_. You know how fast her mood could change, don't you?"

"Yeah…" Shikamaru admitted warily.

"Now that you know where she is and what's she doing at the moment, could you please—?" Sakura made a hand gesture, shooing him. "I'm quite busy here."

"Oh, right. Sorry." Shikamaru retreated to the door. "Thanks for informing me, Sakura. I'm off to find Ino now."

"Not a problem. And tell her to get back to work immediately after the mission, okay? I need a hand."

**x**

The Yamamotos were not ninjas, they were regular citizens so it took Shikamaru almost fifteen minutes to locate where they lived because he hardly knew this family. He arrived at last at a large white house (he found it easily after asking around because the Yamamoto residence was one of a few Western-styled houses in Konoha) The house was situated at the East of the village and obviously owned by a rich family; it was stunningly beautiful.

Shikamaru rounded the house when spotting no one at the front lawn. He heard laughing at the back, the sound of woman's voice echoed merrily mixed with kid's laughter calling him there. Slowly he made his way, careful with quieting his steps and masking his chakra so as not to disturb anybody (he didn't want to be discovered that he was letting himself into a private property without invitation). Once the back lawn view came into sight, Shikamaru came into an abrupt halt, as his mind absorbing what lie in front of his eyes.

Bathed under the lazy afternoon sunshine was the very person he wished to meet; Ino. Her golden locks reflected the bright rays to the atmosphere, her pale blue eyes were shining with pure glee. She was cradling a baby in her arms (a one-year old Shikamaru assumed) which was toying with the mass of hair hung in front of Ino's face, laughing merrily with Ino. There was another child stationed at her feet, a girl who looked like a couple of years older than the baby. She had curly strawberry blonde hair identical to her younger sister and she was wearing a pink summer dress, blowing bubbles.

She soon spotted Shikamaru half hidden behind a tall bush and stopped blowing bubbles at once. Her green eyes fixed intently on his, silently wondering what kind of business a stranger had, lurking in her garden. For a moment, Ino didn't realize he was there, until noticing that the girl at her feet was immobilized by something she currently staring. The kunoichi drifted her gaze hurriedly to the spot Shikamaru was standing and her eyes widened in surprise.

Upon being discovered, Shikamaru moved forward to make his presence more known and uttered the first thing that came to his mind, in a voice that was clear, awed and sincere,

"That's a beautiful sight."

For a split second, Shikamaru could detect a sense of confusion and shock flooding through Ino but her sweetest smile depleted it immediately. A tiny blush spread across her cheeks and she hastily tucked a stray of fringe behind her ear.

"Hey Shikamaru," she greeted almost shyly. "I didn't hear you coming. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Shikamaru simply answered, then stared down at the girl sitting next to Ino's feet. "Sakura told me you'd be here."

"Surely you don't expect seeing me here, do you?" asked Ino coolly. The baby in her arms continued to mess with her hair and she seemed to pay no attention to that. Her older sister resumed her bubble-blowing shortly after seeing her temporary nanny seemed to be friends with the stranger.

"Yeah, of course." Shikamaru studied Ino's expression. "How are you?"

"As you can see I'm fine."

"No, I mean _how are you_ with—," Shikamaru meant to say the babysitting job but stopped abruptly seeing the curly-haired girl was looking up at him again with her piercing green eyes which reminded him of someone somewhere. Shikamaru didn't know why but he felt like bad omen was coming. "—you know what I mean."

"I'm fine, Shikamaru." Ino assured him quietly. "Don't worry."

Shikamaru had his gaze lingered on her for a full minute before decided to let the matter drop, shrugging, "If you say so. Besides," he hesitated, wondering whether it was wise or not to voice his opinion. "You look absolutely…happy."

Ino suddenly scowled. "Yeah, that's what daddy said to me at lunch." She took a few moments checking her appearance. "You don't think about what daddy thought of me, do you? He thought I'm fat!"

"Did he really?" Shikamaru tried to sound surprised. "But I don't think so… You look _fine_ to me…"

Ino beamed at him and once again laughed at the baby toying with her hair. "So what are you doing here? Surely you didn't come to waste your precious time with me, did you?"

Shikamaru dropped his body on the stone bench nearby. "Nah, I just want to see you." Ino arched her brows, expecting him to say something more. Her heart fluttered all in a sudden. "I got a couple of hours off until the next meeting, so I thought of seeing you. I checked the lab—"

Ino cut him off quickly, frowning. "What meeting?"

"The Chuunin Exam committee meeting."

The fluttering died as quickly as it begun. "Oh!" Ino replied unenthusiastically. "Has it started?"

"Yeah. The ambassadors arrived yesterday and the meeting just started this morning." Shikamaru stretched his long body, trying to loosen his tired muscles. "We've got so much to discuss and prepare, seeing that this month is the final month before the Chuunin Exam starts. I wonder whether or not I could stand being this busy… Come to think of it, I rather prefer doing missions or teaching than handling all this stuff… Not only that, I have to accompany that woman everywhere, how troublesome…"

But Ino wasn't really listening. She stood frozen as though she had heard something shocking. Her eyes were both big, alert.

"Ino?"

Silence quickly fell. Shikamaru wasn't sure whether it was caused by their recent topic or not. Ino seemed to be very uneasy about the arrival of the village representatives. It seemed like she could not stop thinking about them.

"How long they are going to stay here?"

"About a week."

"I see."

"Is something matter, Ino?"

She forced a casual laugh. "Oh, no! Not at all! It's just…I'm looking forward to meet one of them…" Shikamaru wanted to ask which person she wished to meet but before he could say anything, Ino returned to her normal self again.

"Forget about that, Shikamaru! Now that you're here, you have to help me with these kids! You take care of Nanako, the older sister, okay! And I'll take care of little Nami here…" Ino spun the baby around and laughed merrily.

As curious as he was feeling at the moment, Shikamaru decided not to voice his heart out. It was a rare occasion to be alone with Ino like this, spending what it seemed to be a joyful time under the sun. Not wanting to break the new found warmth in Ino's company, he slid from his bench to the spot next to the little girl at her feet, joining her blowing bubbles.

And as he sat there for hours, with Ino leaned her back against his, tired of standing and now cradling the baby to sleep, it had come to his senses that he and Ino was on the right track in life.

He wished they could stay like that forever.

…**to be continued.**

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_The last part of this chapter was inspired from a scene in Ghost Whisperer._

_A stroll on the beach with Shikamaru/Ino for:_ wonderwoman29, sittinghere, chikarubunny, Lady Kenley, AnimeFanatic223, Lizabeth-Marie, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, The Reading Maid, StarryRavenFire, WeHoldTheseTruths, aki-child, Hlomondodeli Majoribanks, Flaming Beauty, rainoftears, Redenzione, Wings-chan, angel0fdestiny, TroublesomeShikamaru, x0x, Ebil Chameleon, purpleface14, Kait, sad little monkey, XFamousXLastXWordsX, tomboy14, sugarmonkey778, Sweete Mist, dbzfan82, Belizma-chan, Sasukes-girl08, Crimson Mystery, Sarawinnie, Elsie-neechan, harrypocky, x-p.a.t.t.y-x, NazaliaSan, Khlove, Seanshine, braindamage730, Sakura12, you.broke.a.promise, zzTroublesomezz, ZeekUchiha, KinKitsune01, Bella-Rose01, ckatherine, Jenny, Tiernan Hunter, -quilotz-, xinping and JojoBinx.

_Thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter! (I really think this chapter sucked, though!)_


	23. A Smelly Conspiracy

_A/N: Late update, I know. I was so caught up in my hectic life. It was getting more and more depressing lately. Believe me, I actually thought of quitting this site, abandon this story and all. But I just can't. You know why? Because I am so determined to finish this story! Thanks to the warm reviews and encouragement, guys._

_This chapter is dedicated to __Nicy-chan__ for being my 900__th__ reviewer for I'm Sorry Shikamaru._

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**Chapter 23: A Smelly Conspiracy**

"Um, Ino…" Sakura hesitated, picking her words slowly. "Are you sure it is safe for you to take things slower with Shikamaru?"

When Ino didn't answer, Sakura looked behind her back. Ino was perched on her stool, looking miserable with the notes all around her. Her forehead was badly wrinkled and she surely wasn't disgusted from the horrible smell evaporated from the mixture Sakura was stirring.

Noticing the green eyes were on her, Ino sighed.

"Not this again, Sakura…"

"It's been twelve days. I couldn't believe you manage to keep your feelings towards him when he's—" Sakura joined her index finger and her thumb but let a gap of an inch between. "—this close."

Ino sighed again, obviously annoyed, as Sakura had pressed the matter over and over again to her face ever since she made her recovery from the sickbed.

"Don't you afraid that someone will steal him away?"

Ino shrugged.

"He's getting popular…"

"I know."

"Then why don't you just tell him—"

"This isn't the right time." Ino cut Sakura's words. "He's busy with the Chuunin exam and stuff. I don't want to disturb him. He's getting enough stress as it is."

"Or are you afraid?" Sakura pressed again.

Ino frowned. "Of what, of the rejection?" Sakura shrugged. Ino sighed, popping more barbeque chips into her mouth and chewing slowly. "You know, maybe I am…"

Then in a more bright expression, Ino quickly added, "but if he's so in love with me like you always said, then I guess I don't have to be afraid of losing him anytime, do I?"

Sakura gave a helpless look.

"Do you really think that Shikamaru loves me? I mean really loves me? As in…more than friends?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? He cares for you. He worries a lot about you. If that doesn't count as expression of love, I don't know what is."

"But friends do care and worry about each other too."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! Enough with the denial, Ino! He truly loves you, you know that!"

"Then…why he hasn't made any move yet?"

"Maybe he's just like you: afraid of the rejection. And maybe he's waiting for the right time to come."

"And when's the right time?" Ino asked almost desperately.

"In about twenty years? Kidding. Why don't you just say that you love him, Ino? You're supposed to be the bold one in this story."

"But I prefer guys to do the chasing, not the other way around."

"Knowing Shikamaru, he'll wait a million years until he finds out that you fancy him just the same then he'll make a move!" Sakura's eyes were big. "Okay, here's a suggestion. Why don't you initiate and let him do the rest? _Send him signals_."

"Done that." Ino mumbled, remembering all her flirtatious gestures she sent him whenever they came across each other's way. "But he just doesn't get it."

"Try something else. Tell him straight in the fa—"

"Discussion is terminated." Ino held up a hand in order to tell Sakura to shut up. They reached that topic _again_.

Sakura shrugged. "Fine. Just remember; don't come running at me when you're too late to make him yours. I had enough with your crying and whining and with so many things up in my sleeves, I don't have time for that."

"Sakura, you don't have sleeves," Ino said with a straight face.

But Sakura didn't laugh. "Besides, you're supposed to help me here. That's the reason I make you my partner."

Ino didn't budge.

"And if you continue eating like that I will not surprised if you turn into a balloon soon."

"That's the idea," Ino whispered.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

Sakura moved forward, narrowing her eyes. "You're hiding something. Spill."

"I'm not hiding anything!" Ino quickly backed away. She glanced at the clock and gasped happily. "Oh, look! It's lunchtime!"

She dashed off before Sakura could stop her. Once outside, Ino let out a heavy breath and with her head held up high, she walked down the stairs towards the hospital compounds and out. Along her walking, she noticed a few colleagues passed by threw double looks at her. Their eyebrows knitted and they seemed to be whispering behind her back. Ino knew what they were whispering about: her new look.

Well, it wasn't like she was developing extra 100 pounds. She was a little bit meaty than she usually was. Her new figure didn't upset her much, in fact, she thought she looked good. At least she wasn't sickly looking; her bones didn't stick out and her skin wasn't hanging helplessly on them. She put her hand on her slightly bulging tummy and drew it back in a flash. She felt hot tears began prickling at the end of her eyes.

Ino took a deep breath and shook her head, smiling faintly. Then quickly, she strolled along the road to find something that could take away that issue from her mind: food.

**x**

Stomach fully satisfied, Ino stepped out of the small restaurant with a huge grin on her face. A plastic of boxed meal was clutched tight in one hand, lunch for Sakura. She was about to turn around and head for the hospital when something made her dead in her tracks.

She just saw Shikamaru and Temari were walking alongside each other.

Her stomach gave a funny jolt and as she watched them nearing, something Sakura had said earlier that day echoed in her head.

"_Don't you afraid that someone will steal him away?"_

Ino could hear herself arguing back.

"_But if he's so in love with me like you always said, then I guess I don't have to be afraid of losing him anytime, do I?"_

Frowning, Ino focused on Shikamaru's facial expression. No trace of smile, let alone sheer bliss but a scowl. In fact, he looked mildly annoyed. Ino understood this; Shikamaru had overworked his ass off for the Chuunin exam meeting.

Something Temari said made him appear more upset. Shikamaru seemed to argue back and whatever he said must be offended to Temari for her face turning red in an instant. Ino saw she clenched her fist on both sides as if straining herself from giving him a good punch.

Then they talked no more even though they were still walking side by side. However, both got their faces out of each other as they passed Ino, none of them noticed her standing there.

"What happen to you guys?" Ino questioned from behind their backs and quickly the pair turned around.

Shikamaru's face instantly brightened at the sight of her. In fact, he looked relieved. "Oh, it's you."

"Hi to you too, Shikamaru," Ino smiled and turned to Temari. This was the first meeting she ever had with her ever since they departed nearly two weeks ago. "Temari-san."

"Yamanaka," Temari greeted in return. A look of surprise spread on her face as she studied the other kunoichi's form. "How are you? You look completely different from last time. You look…very happy. And healthy, too."

Shikamaru frowned and Ino quickly forced a nervous laugh. "Oh? Yeah, yeah! Everybody said that to me these days!"

Temari smirked coolly. "It's good to see you not sickly looking anymore. You know, I was really worried back at Suna. I was afraid that you cannot complete the mission. But you proved me wrong though!"

Ino noticed Shikamaru opened his mouth to ask what it was that made her worried. Come to think of it, they've never discussed about the mission, so surely he didn't know how badly her condition while she was there. But before Shikamaru blurt out his curiosity, Ino beat him to it.

"So what're you guys discussing about? Looks quite steamy to me," Ino asked eagerly, glancing at the tall chuunin. Shikamaru abruptly scowled, his curiosity forgotten.

"It's about what Godaime said this morning," he explained, looking heated once again.

"There's some complications occur in the second stage; the Forest of Death," Temari continued. "Hokage-sama asked us – the ambassadors – to stay until the problem's fixed. She wanted us to oversee everything so that there will be no complaining about 'easy winning'. I don't know how long but it looks like we're going to be here until the exam begins."

"That's not…good," Ino commented.

"You bet," Shikamaru agreed.

"Well, it's not like I want to stay any longer!" Temari argued, glaring at the chuunin. Obviously that was the topic she and Shikamaru were discussing about earlier. Ino didn't know what made the conversation so heated though. Temari wanted to retort even more but Shikamaru sighed, waving his hand. "Okay, whatever you say. I don't want to start this again. How troublesome."

Temari shot a nasty look at him before drawing her gaze away. When Ino saw this, the funny jolt in her stomach disappeared completely. Temari wasn't a threat.

"_Don't you afraid that someone will steal him away?"_

No, she couldn't be. If not, she could've had him long ago – considering the amount of time she and Shikamaru spent every time she visited Konoha was enough to make him hers. But still, there was nothing going on between them. Shikamaru had confirmed that.

Ino studied Temari's face thoughtfully. "Temari-san, do you…er…do you have time?"

The older kunoichi arched her brows at her sudden question. Even Shikamaru looked surprised.

"Why?" Temari asked curiously.

A little uneasy, Ino said, "Oh, I just want to invite you to…dinner."

"Dinner?" Shikamaru and Temari spoke in unison.

"Yeah. You know, I never thanked you properly for saving my neck during our journey last time so—"

"Oh," Temari smiled. "It's nothing really."

"Still," Ino pressed. "I want us to have dinner together." Glancing a little at Shikamaru with a mischievous gleam in her eyes that only meant she was planning something out of the ordinary, she continued, "Besides, there's something I want to talk to you."

**

* * *

**

Shikamaru didn't know the content of Ino-Temari discussion during their dinner last night (although he was very curious about it) but the moment he caught the sight of Temari that morning, he knew it wasn't a pleasant one.

Temari looked grumpy and as she occupied a seat beside him, she gave him the same nasty look she always sent him whenever she was pissed before she busied herself with her notebook. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, her breathing was harsher than usual.

"What's up?" Shikamaru casually asked.

Temari didn't pay him a glance. Instead, she attacked her notebook with furious writings, growing even angrier. "Oh, _nothing_."

"You look like mad."

"_Am I?_"

Shikamaru wondered whether or not he should ask more about her feisty temper that morning but the arrival of Ibiki and a couple of higher-rank shinobis and the other foreign ninjas put his speech at the back of his throat. The meeting began.

Whatever Temari was upset about Shikamaru didn't care as long as her mood turn to normal again. He certainly didn't want to spend an entire day with someone temperamental.

**x**

"What's up with you today?"

Ino smiled cheerfully as she picked up a well-known medicinal plant and put it in her basket. "I've told Temari last night at dinner, about you-know-what."

"How did it go?" Sakura asked eagerly, forgetting her own task.

Ino shrugged. "She was upset, but she'll get over it."

"Do you think it's going to work?"

"I hope so."

"I wonder how Shikamaru would react when he finds out."

"He'll be shocked, for sure." Ino inspected her surrounding. Nothing but green. They were deep in the forest. "I wonder how long we're going to stay here, Sakura. It's been hours. Now let's get back to the lab. It's almost noon."

"We go after lunchtime."

"What?"

Sakura sighed. "Naruto came looking for me yesterday."

"Oh, what'd he want?"

"You know he and Sasuke-kun are going to participate in the exam, right? Well, he's a bit worried about the first stage – the written examination. He could easily win in spars and he surely could survive in the Forest of Death, but the exam? Fat chance! Sasuke-kun's gonna blow up if he didn't pass, so he come to see me hoping he could persuade me to persuade you to persuade Shikamaru to tell him all about the questions."

Ino laughed. "Why doesn't he go straight to Shikamaru and ask?"

"Because he knows Shikamaru would say no!"

"And what gives him the impression that _I_ could persuade Shikamaru?"

"Dunno. Maybe because you can nag him until he gives you the answers?"

"Ha ha. Shikamaru could be very secretive sometimes too, you know." Ino sighed. "Besides, if Naruto ever get the answers, I doubt he could memorize it all. Maybe one question is enough to pass but we don't know the format this year. Oh, Naruto's gonna be so dead."

"I have no worries at all with Sasuke-kun. I know he's gonna make it." Sakura said cheerfully.

"But if Naruto didn't pass, then so did he. They're paired for the exam, right? They're lucky enough Tsunade-sama let them entering as two-man team, while others entering as three-man team. But I guess they're strong enough, considering their – urm – journeys with powerful people. Five days in the Forest of Death should be a piece of cake, not to mention one-on-one sparring."

"Which reminds me of something," Sakura suddenly stood up and gathered her things. Ino didn't know why but she copied her act nonetheless, seeing Sakura was about to leave that place and she was right. "They asked me to train with them whenever I have time."

"Train with you? I think they've got enough training."

"Oh, they want to try different techniques," Sakura said with a triumphant smile, holding her fist close to her face. "I'm gonna give them hell."

"Yeah, give 'em loads. Ah… I wish I could join their training too—"

"But you can't." Sakura quickly cut in. "Not yet."

Ino smiled bitterly. "I guess I will really turn into a balloon soon if you forbid me from doing any workout, Sakura."

"You will turn into one, nevertheless." Sakura snorted. "Just look at your food intake! It's scary!"

"No, I eat just the same."

Sakura snorted. "Yeah, _right_. By the way, do you know that Gaara's coming to Konoha? I don't know the details but he seems to come on Naruto's invitation."

"Gaara as in Gaara the _Kazekage_ of Suna? But what's the occasion?"

"I had this idea that Naruto's going to make him as a training partner. As if I, Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei aren't enough for his training. And he's got Jiraiya-sama to help him once in a while. I know he didn't want to lose to Sasuke-kun at any cost and I understand that he desperately wants to become a chuunin but he's…too much!"

Ino shook her head. "Maybe I should persuade Shikamaru to give him the answers. That'll calm him down a bit."

"No," Sakura objected. "I want him to win the title fair and square."

They rounded a corner, out of the forest and into the road. The streets were busy as always, considering it was nearly noon. Foreign ninjas all bustling out after another meeting at the academy and hit the restaurants and food stalls, along with their Konoha companions. There was no sign of Shikamaru.

But Ino understood this. He was awfully busy. Lack of sleep began to show on his face. And he looked thinner than usual.

She halted. Sakura, who was walking behind her almost crashed into her.

"Ino!"

"Sakura," Ino thrust her basket full of herbs to Sakura's other free hand. "Can you take this with you? There's something I need to do."

Sakura gaped at her. "Going for lunch again? Ino!"

Ino smiled sheepishly. "I'll bring you lunch. And I promise I'll be back soon!"

"You better." Sakura scowled but accepted the basket nonetheless. "'cause I'm gonna leave the rest of the work to you!"

"I'll do all of it once I come back," Ino waved. "You can take the day off if you want."

"Yeah, I'll do that." Sakura said grudgingly and took off.

Ino entered a small restaurant that sell the best sushi in town and when she stepped out, she got three boxes of packed meals in hand. Without wasting time, she headed for the Academy because that was the place she knew she'll find Shikamaru.

And she was right. Inside the restricted meeting room that specially reserved for the Chuunin exam committee meeting, there was Shikamaru, sitting alone. He looked tired and troubled, a stack of paper by his side made the sight even uglier. For once Ino could see Shikamaru tapping his forehead with his pen in exasperation.

He looked like he didn't want to be disturbed but without a second thought Ino walked in. her light footsteps alerted him and when he snapped his face to face her, his dark eyes widened in surprise.

"Ino! What are you doing here?"

Ino smiled widely. "Just wanna see how you're doing. Where is everybody?"

"Out."

"They left you here alone to finish all these works? Poor thing," Ino placed a boxed meal in front of him. "I've brought you lunch."

A look of relief swept over his face. "Ino, you're my angel!" And as Shikamaru savored the sushis one by one, the blush that spread all over Ino's cheeks remained for quite sometime.

"You know, I think you're the only one who really work your ass off for the meeting," Ino helped herself a sushi. "It's only you who busy. Other ninjas don't."

"'course. They didn't fall asleep in the middle of a meeting," Shikamaru spoke through his meal. Ino gaped.

"That is so…you." She commented flatly.

Shikamaru finished the last bits of his meal in one go. "You know, you're not allowed in here."

"Yeah, I know that," Ino mouthed the sign that read 'Restricted to Chuunin Exam Committee Only'. "But there's nobody in here so I think it's okay."

The papers attracted Ino's attention. "What is this? Questions for the exam?" Ino was going to take one when Shikamaru shielded the papers protectively with his hands.

"Please don't touch."

"So it's really exam's questions!" Ino exclaimed delightedly. "You know, Naruto's been hoping me to persuade you to—"

"No. I have enough of Chouji nagging me the other day about that and now you. Naruto just doesn't give up, does he?"

"Oh, geez. I wasn't serious." Ino drew back her hand and quickly stood. "I think I better get going."

"Ino, I wasn't shooing you away."

"But they're going to show up anytime. And if they see us here, I don't know what's gonna happen to you. They'll probably think you're giving away answers. And Sakura's gonna give me hell if I stay here any longer. _She's starved_."

Shikamaru's face darkened. He didn't want her to go, yet every bit of Ino's words was true. "Well, okay," he said unenthusiastically. His expression dropped. "See you later."

"Bye!" Ino waved.

She didn't see what was in front of her until it was too late. She turned around from facing Shikamaru to the door and she crashed into someone. And it wasn't just someone.

It was Temari. Her mildly cheerful expression vanished instantly the moment she saw the Konoha kunoichi's face.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was bringing Shikamaru lunch," Ino gestured the remaining boxed meals in her hand.

"But you're not allowed in here."

"I know. And I'm leaving." Ino half-whispered to the older blonde. "Don't worry. Shikamaru didn't give me a chance to peek at the questions."

Temari didn't say anything but Ino noticed that the coldness in her eyes had lessened.

"Yamanaka," she said as Ino made her way to exit. Ino turned and waited expectantly.

"About last night," Temari took a side glance at Shikamaru who was listening to them with absolute curiosity. "I'll give you the answer soon enough."

Ino smiled triumphantly. The mischievous gleam was back in her eyes. "I'll be waiting."

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Can you smell it? Haha. Bet you never knew what's going on in my head!_

_Shikamaru/Ino miniatures for_: Kami Kurokaze, WeHoldTheseTruths, AnimeFanatic223, aki-child, MsADRiENNE, TaimaHawk12, Lady Kenley, wonderwoman29, Bella-Rose01, rainoftears, sveta89, x0x, DeidaraAddiction, R e b e l 17, fanficgeek, Belizma-chan, you.broke.a.promise, Nicy-chan, XFamousXLastXWordsX, Elsie-neechan, tomboy14, JojoBinx, The Reading Maid, kayla, Sweete Mist, sad little monkey, chikarubunny, Sakura12, Ebil Chameleon, NazaliaSan, mood ink, Jenny, Anime Flower 08, zzTroublesomezz, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, StopGo, fanficgeek, LadyCupid, Wings-chan, braindamage730, The blackdash, 93addict, ZeekUchiha, MayumiNorika and REX-king.

_Thank you for r&r the last chapter!_


	24. Green Eyed Monster ?

_A/N: Thank you so much for the encouragements, guys, really lifted my spirits. And Flaming Beauty, thanks for the PM. I really appreciate it. You are right. I, author write not because I am pressured to do so, I write because I want to and I love to. And most of all, I write for those who want me to; my fans, all of you. And because of that, I will continue to write. Thank you so much. _

* * *

**Chapter 24: Green-eyed Monster (?)**

The following week, Ino was found alone in the hospital research lab, working on Sakura's experiments. Since a few days ago, Sakura had joined Naruto and Sasuke's training and she spent most of her time with them. Thankfully Hinata (who was taking light medical practice) sometimes dropped by at the lab and helped her. If not, Ino could die from exhaustion.

Shikamaru was getting busier as well, as if the Chuunin exam was depending on him alone. After the paper questions, now was the time to fix the problem in the Forest of Death. It had been three days since Shikamaru went in with his group and Ino hadn't see him ever since. She missed seeing his face greatly. If it wasn't because of the experiments and Chouji's company, she could've break into the forbidden forest only to catch a glimpse of him.

No Shikamaru meant no Temari as well. Everyday Ino waited impatiently for the Suna kunoichi to show up in front of her face and tell the answer to the request she had asked of her. But only silence greeted her at the lab entrance. Not even a note. Nothing.

When Ino thought about that night, a grim smile formed on her lips. She still remembered Temari's shocked face, maybe angry, even disgust, of what she had uttered to her after their almost silent dinner. They'd just stepped out of Ichiraku when Ino brought Temari to a shadowed spot near the bridge, away from prying eyes, and there, Ino told her everything that she wanted her to do.

Temari had the right to be angry, because what Ino had requested of her wasn't a simple request. It involved a person and an effort of a lifetime. She had the right to shrug the ridiculous request off just after hearing it but Ino had begged, pleaded, cried for her cold woman's heart to soften and consider it. And at last, despite her heart's protests, Temari agreed.

She walked away grumpily, didn't even turned her head to look at her as she took off. Ino was left to dry her remaining tears but with a determination that Temari would _not_ let her down. She was sure that Temari understood her wanting for that someone and if Temari didn't do what she requested of her, she didn't know what to do with her life anymore.

But Temari took too long to respond her request. Ino should've got the answer now, so that she could carry on her next plan. She needed that Suna kunoichi's cooperation. Without her, she won't be able to do anything.

Ino had no intention on telling anybody about that conspiracy except Sakura, who knew all about it from the start. Let alone Shikamaru, he above all, didn't need to know. Even a single thing. Because it all revolved around him, and she will only tell him when the _right_ time come.

After long, dreadful hours in the lab, Ino finally decided to take an hour off that late afternoon to free her mind. She longed for fresh air. Her experiment wasn't going well; she hated to admit but she was obviously behind Sakura's level in medic. And because of that, she needed to learn more. But she had to once again accept that she wasn't as bright as Sakura, that it was difficult for her to study the massive medic books around alone. Making a mental note, she decided to expand her knowledge in any way she can so as not to lose to Sakura (as Asuma last asked her) whether in ninjutsu or love.

Ninjutsu was easy to conquer. As long as she work hard enough, then it wasn't impossible for her to surpass Sakura any time. But love? Could she found love before Sakura? In fact, she had—Shikamaru. But could she found true love, as in love of a lifetime? Knowing Asuma, that was what he actually wanted, like the love he had with Kurenai. It was forever. Ino knew it well by heart. It had been almost two years since Death parted them, yet Kurenai seemed greatly unaffected. Yes, she was sad at the beginning but thinking her husband died at the prospect of saving their village, most importantly giving a safer, happier place for his son, she accepted her fate willingly.

And it wasn't that she didn't have a chance to move on, because as Ino could see, a lot of people wanted to take care of her and her child. But Kurenai never thought of remarry. She said no other man could replace Asuma's place in her heart. They just got married by the time Asuma went to that deadly mission and Ino understood if Kurenai wanted to freeze the time they had had as newlyweds as long as she could feel Asuma's presence in their – now her – lonely house. And she was happy just living like that, even more since the birth of her child.

Now it was hard to see Kurenai around the village because she was so busy raising her son. She hardly took missions anymore but still supervising Team Eight. If people ask how she could support her family by not working almost at all, there was only one answer: Asuma's saving. No wonder Asuma always being generous to his genin team. He treated them to Yakiniku and allowed Chouji to eat as much as his stomach could take because he can afford it. And when his father, the Sandaime died, of course he inherited half his fortune, while the other half went to Konohamaru. And when he himself died, of course his wife and his son inherited it all.

And that taught Ino something: _be always prepared._

She and Shikamaru weren't preparing at all when they learned that they were going to have a baby.

So Ino reminded herself to not making the same mistake twice.

Back to the love issue, Ino wondered when the right moment to tell Shikamaru was. A quarter of her now believed that yes, Shikamaru indeed loved her, truly loved her. Of course there was logic in Sakura's words that maybe the reason Shikamaru still hadn't make his move was because he too was like her: afraid of being turned down, or just waiting for the right moment to come.

But Shikamaru loving her wasn't enough. Ino wanted him to want her, to need her. She wanted him to want to marry her, choose her as his partner for the rest of his life. _And willingly do so._ She wanted their love to be like Asuma-Kurenai: everlasting. Forever. That was why she wanted them to be sure of their feelings before they take a step further.

Long before Ino realized her feelings, she had loved Shikamaru as a friend and she knew Shikamaru loved her just the same (although he hardly showed it). It was now the question: after the shocking news that she was pregnant, she had learned to love him more than that but what about Shikamaru? The quarter part of Ino screamed 'Yes!' but the other parts remained confused. Ino had to find out. It was now or never. That was why she was going to put a test on him, with help from Temari – if she agreed. Then when Ino got the satisfactory answer, she didn't care who confess to whom first. Because she had to be fast; she didn't want Sakura to defeat her in this matter!

Sakura had two gorgeous guys by her side, waiting to be picked. Well, Ino wasn't sure whether or not Sasuke was interested but Naruto certainly was. He had had a thing for that pink-haired kunoichi ever since they were little and wasn't afraid to show his affection – though Sakura was used to it already. She never pushed Naruto away for doing stupid things anymore, like shouting "I love you Sakura-chan!!!" in public or asking her out for a date. So Ino figured her heart softened for Naruto. But she knew Sakura never gave up Sasuke, although Sakura never did anything girlish and foolish anymore to get Sasuke's attention.

And there was Rock Lee. The energetic shinobi in green suit never failed to attract Sakura's attention and seemed excited to compete with Naruto and perhaps Sasuke in getting a place in Sakura's heart. Aside of those three, there was Sai, who seemed to annoy Sakura almost every time they met. He was mean, but sometimes Ino saw there was something gleaming in his eyes, like he said all those bad things just to take Sakura's attention.

Whether Sakura was blind to notice those appealing boys, or she was more interested in getting stronger and wiser, Ino didn't have a clue. She just hoped Sakura didn't care about love much as much as her, because only love Ino was certain she could beat Sakura – if only she failed to catch up to her in ninjutsu.

But ninjutsu wasn't a worry matter because Ino already had something planned in her mind. She wasn't going to give up that either. She was determined to win.

As Ino browsed the stalls that lined along the street without vague interest, she remembered one late evening where she witnessed her current roommate strolled into the house in exhaustion. Sakura was drenched with sweat; her cropped hair matted to her forehead and cheeks, her outfit plastered to her skin. She panted as she joined the blonde at the dining table, arm waving furiously asking for water.

"What happened?" Ino asked, couldn't help herself from feeling amused. At the beginning of the day, Sakura had rambled about how glad she felt for being able to escape the unpleasant smell of the lab and getting her hands and feet into action once again. She was cheery and so full of life; Ino never saw her so spirited for training. "I'm gonna give them hell!" she claimed over and over again happily.

But now, just on the very first day she joined Naruto-Sasuke training regime, she was drained this badly?

The green eyes weren't sparkling anymore. Sakura looked clearly exhausted.

"Naruto and Sasuke-kun," she gulped the water in one go. "They aren't human, Ino. They're monsters, I tell you. _Crazy._ Where the hell did they get such amount of chakra? We were training like we were going to war. They didn't give me a break."

"Maybe they were just excited?" Ino suggested, filling the glass with cold water once again. "You know, for having you to train with them. It's been so long."

"Excited _my ass_," Sakura rolled her eyes. "They're just taking this whole exam so seriously. Maybe they think they could be promoted straight to jounin."

"But that's their level now, isn't it?"

"Even so, they have to be chuunin first!" Sakura pressed. "I thought I was strong enough to face them, but apparently I wasn't. I didn't have enough chakra. I don't know Kakashi-sensei but I'm sure he could still give them challenge. Damn, those boys! _They are strong!"_

"It's no wonder," Ino shrugged, as if Sakura's outburst didn't surprise her. "Seeing both managed to kill Akatsuki members themselves."

Sakura nodded. "I can see why Naruto invited Gaara for his training now. He could give them challenge."

"But do you really think that Gaara would come? I mean, it's just an invitation from Naruto, _a friend_, not our dear Hokage-sama. Kages rarely leave the village unless for something really important, like formal events and such. They have to protect the village, don't they?"

"I agree but to Gaara, Naruto isn't just a friend. He is his first friend, on top of that, his savior. Gaara values Naruto over anything valuable in the world, he would do anything for him. If Naruto invites him to Konoha, to Konoha he comes, if it just for a tea. You wouldn't refuse an invitation from someone who saved your life, would you?"

Ino hesitated. "I guess…"

"If you ask me once again whether or not Gaara would come, I say yes, he would come." Sakura sighed, but looking cheery. "Can't wait. Our training might be interesting."

Thinking about the redheaded Kazekage, Ino couldn't help from feeling the hairs on her neck stood. Without Shukaku, Gaara was still as frightening as ever, even he wasn't a dangerous weapon anymore. He was cold, so cold than Uchiha Sasuke. His green eyes were so piercing they felt like going through you. During her stay in Suna, Ino had never been involved in a conversation with him even though they lived under the same roof. It was always Kankurou and Temari who kept her company, although it wasn't much. Ino only exchanged a few polite words with Gaara every time they met; never more than that.

But of course he wasn't like that with Naruto, Ino guessed. She couldn't wait to see how the green-eyed Kazekage from Suna treated his so-called 'best friend' when (as Sakura strongly believed) he finally arrived.

**x**

The bell on the glass door jingled, announcing somebody just entered the shop. But thinking it was just a regular customer, the blond woman behind the counter didn't bother to spare a glance at the door. Her deep blue eyes were on the order forms neatly stacked in her hands as she read the one on top carefully.

The handsome young man who just entered smiled gleefully seeing her. He took a quick look around the shop before heading towards the woman. Alerted, she looked up at last at the direction of the door and her eyes widened.

"Hello, auntie."

"Hajime-kun!" Mrs. Yamanaka exclaimed happily and leapt from her stool hurriedly to hug him. "I can believe it. What a nice surprise!"

Ino's admirer and Shikamaru's nightmare a.k.a. Shinkai Hajime, a Karate master and owner of one of the best Karate dojos in Fire Country returned the big-bear hug. His white teeth sparkled as he smiled even wider and his brilliant green eyes twinkled with amusement. His autumn-colored hair shook as he was released for better inspection.

"You are handsome as ever," Mrs. Yamanaka sighed, eyeing him dreamily. Her fingers busily brushed a speck of dust on Hajime's clothes in a very motherly way.

Hajime chuckled. "You're embarrassing me."

"Oh, don't be so modest. What brings you all the way to Konoha?" Still in her awestruck voice, Mrs. Yamanaka moved to the door and flipped the 'Open' sign to 'Close' and led Hajime to the kitchen.

"Some business," Hajime answered, taking a seat as Mrs. Yamanaka bustled around making tea. "I came on Hokage-sama request. Since most of the Academy teachers are involved with the exam – Chuunin exam, is it? – she asked me to take over the Taijutsu class temporarily until the exam is over."

"But what about your job at the dojo?"

"Oh, my men will handle it. They're plenty of them. I only have to come here twice a week so my absence in a few sessions won't make any difference." Hajime took a sip of his tea.

"You're right," Ino's mother occupied the seat opposite Hajime, still beaming at him. "Konoha is so busy nowadays. Those involve in the preparations are working like mad! Always like that, Chuunin exam."

"To tell the truth, I'm quite envious." Hajime laughed a little, his left dimple showed. "I wish Konoha's my hometown then I'll be joining those chuunins bustling around. I always want to be a ninja."

"But I think you do well enough as a Karate master. You are so needed by the citizens who are not ninjas, though they can hire them for protection. But everybody should learn how to defend themselves."

"You're quite right there, auntie. Maybe that's why my dojo is so full with customers these days," Hajime's eyes roamed around the room again and Mrs. Yamanaka noticed.

"Looking for someone?"

Hajime turned slightly pink. "Oh, yeah – uncle?"

"He's out on mission, dear."

"Um, so… What about Miss Sunshine?"

Mrs. Yamanaka's smile widened. She nodded knowingly. Miss Sunshine was a nickname for Ino. Hajime had been calling her that since they were little.

"Oh, so sorry, dear. She's not here."

"She's on a mission, too? Or is she busy with the Chuunin exam?"

"Nah, Ino's busy with something else. She spends a lot of time at the hospital lately – no, she's not sick or anything – her friend needs her help with something, something about medical experiments. I'm not quite sure myself but she's so busy. I haven't seen her since last week. She hardly drops by to visit us…"

Hajime's eyebrows met. "Visit? What do you mean, auntie?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Mrs. Yamanaka looked quite surprised. "She'd moved out of the house. Now she lives on her own."

"All by _herself_?"

"Not really. Shikamaru is always there to keep an eye on her. Inoichi and I disagreed at first about her moving out, you know, but after finding out they – Shikamaru and Ino – live so closely together, we didn't worry much." Apparently, Ino's mother hadn't got a clue that Ino had lived with Sakura for almost three weeks.

Hajime's frown deepened. "Shikamaru – _her boyfriend?_"

Mrs. Yamanaka burst into a laugh. "Oh, no! Shikamaru _isn't_ Ino's boyfriend. He's her genin teammates. They'd known each other since they were very little and I could say they're really good friends. They're really close. Ino always depend on him."

"They live…together?"

"No, they're neighbors."

"Oh." At this, Hajime looked relieved. "Uh, so Miss Sunshine's here, in Konoha? Do you know where I could find her?"

Mrs. Yamanaka smiled delightedly. Although Inoichi had sent the news of marriage rejection to Hajime, clearly the guy didn't seem taken aback at the disappointment. And Mrs. Yamanaka saw no wrongdoing for Hajime to find Ino and (perhaps) try to persuade her to marry him himself.

"Try the hospital, dear. The lab."

"Okay," Hajime smiled, barring his perfect white teeth again at the green light. "I suppose I find her now. Thanks for the tea, auntie."

**x**

Thinking her one hour was almost up, Ino retraced her steps back to the hospital, though reluctantly. It was hard for her to think of another unsuccessful experiment. Besides, being alone in the lonely laboratory was quite unpleasant feeling. There were no medic-nins around bustling in and out; Sakura had chosen the farthest and most isolated lab for privacy.

She needed company, Ino thought. And some help. Maybe she ought to find Hinata.

Ino hadn't gone far from searching the white-eyed kunoichi when she spotted an ice-cream stall at the end of the street and her mind was instantly wiped blank. Though she wasn't feeling hungry at the moment, but the slightly dry air gave her a reason to sample a cone (and perhaps add some more weight). Autumn was approaching, yet the weather was fine as ever.

While Ino was paying her ice-cream – vanilla, her favorite flavor – with spirit high from usual, she felt someone's finger touched her shoulder lightly. Curious and slightly surprised, she turned around. And gasped.

"_You."_ She whispered breathlessly.

**x**

After three gruesome days in the Forest of Death, Shikamaru finally came out with the rest of his team. Several of them were badly injured and Shikamaru wasn't looking quite good himself. He got a nasty cut near his bottom lip and scratches on his arms where his shirt had been ripped off by what it seemed like branches – _violent_ branches. His body was full of twigs and leaves, his face oily and smudgy but he didn't give a damn at all about his appearance as he joined his injured colleagues to the Hospital. The sight wasn't surprising; the Forest was full of monsters such as oversized tigers and poisonous leeches, and the Forest was named 'Forest of Death' without reason.

But no, he wasn't going to get a treatment from the regular medic-nins. His aim was a certain blue-eyed blond kunoichi skilled enough in medic, who he knew was hidden in an isolated lab far at the very back of the Hospital.

Shikamaru was not far from entering the Hospital compound when suddenly he heard a voice was calling somebody from behind. He didn't bother to turn around; he wasn't sure which of them the person was calling but then he felt a light tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me," the person said. "May I ask you something?"

Feeling slightly annoyed of being _the chosen one_, Shikamaru turned around. He hardly expected the person to be someone he knew; he didn't recognize the voice. But apparently he was mistaken; it was certainly a person he _did_ know.

His stomach gave a great lurch and his heart dropped to the bottom of his feet. For a moment Shikamaru felt like he was going to be sick. He hadn't expected this.

Shinkai Hajime wasn't supposed to be in Konoha!

…**to be continued.**

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	25. Fallen Enemy

_A/N: Congratulations to __MayumiNorika__ for being my 1000__th__ reviewer! So you know what you should do right? Send me a PM of your fanfic request! (refer Chap 21) _

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**Chapter 25: Fallen Enemy**

Yet there was Shinkai Hajime, insanely real in front of his eyes. He was as handsome as ever, perhaps a few times more handsome than his picture Shikamaru had long dumped in the trash. His hair was slightly windswept, his eyes were brilliantly green. If Shikamaru was a girl, there was no doubt he could have fallen in love with him in no time.

But Shikamaru wasn't a girl and he loathed that guy so much.

"Hi," Hajime said cheerily, drawing closer and noticing Shikamaru's condition. "Sorry for holding you up but I want to ask something."

Shikamaru hesitated. Hajime seemed he knew well his purpose coming to the Hospital. Was he there for Ino?

"Go ahead."

"Can you tell – or perhaps show – me the direction to the lab?"

Then Hajime picked the wrong guy. Though he sounded innocent but Shikamaru felt temper was rising in his head. His suspicion confirmed: Shinkai Hajime was there to see Ino.

But his protectiveness came out of nowhere. Like hell he was going to let that happen.

"Which lab?" With great effort, Shikamaru restrained himself from making a comparison between him and Hajime. There he was covered with dirt while Hajime was at the height of coolness.

"Um," Hajime raked his fingers through his fine hair; some fell into his eyes, making him even more handsome. Shikamaru felt tiny. Carefully, he brushed the twigs and leaves off of his body, trying hard not appear doing so. Then he straightened his posture but still, he felt like Hajime was towering him although they were level in height (and Shikamaru was still growing). "I dunno. The one that people run experiments in?" Hajime guessed hopefully.

"There are _lots_," Shikamaru felt a tug at the corner of his mouth. Suddenly he felt triumph. His temper vanished. His spirit soared. Hajime didn't know Ino's whereabouts.

"Oh," he frowned. "Well, I guess I had to find it myself…" He eyed Shikamaru's bruises, concernedly. "I'm really sorry for holding you up. Those wounds look nasty. You better have them check. Thank you for your time."

He had taken several steps forward when Shikamaru hastily spoke, stopping him. "Wait."

And the chuunin solemnly walked towards Hajime, tucking his hands inside his pockets. His smudgy face was blank though there was something cunning glimmering beneath the dark pools of his eyes. "You should state your _subject_ much clearer, you know."

Hajime's eyebrows met, looking slightly puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Shikamaru shrugged and in a matter-of-fact tone, said, "You're not looking for a lab, but a person. Aren't you?"

"How – what are you talking about?"

"I know who you are. I've seen you before," Shikamaru wasn't sure why he was doing this. He was never harsh to people on the first meeting except enemies, of course. But it just felt like a right thing to do at the right time. He could not permit Hajime meeting Ino or the other way around. "And I know the reason why you're here. Or the _person_ you're seeking."

Hajime shook his magnificent head slowly. "I don't remember knowing you. But that's not the point now. How did you know me? And…how did you know that I was…that I actually was looking for a person?"

"That's simple. Like I said, I know you."

"But…how?"

Shikamaru was silent for a moment, thinking. Was this a right thing to do? The more he interacted with Hajime, the more Hajime less appear to be…an opponent. In fact, he seemed like a very nice guy. Shikamaru instantly found it hard to bore more hatred towards him. Perhaps there was something magical in his beautiful eyes or (damn) dazzling smile. Or maybe it was just his decent behavior. If there wasn't a case spelled I-N-O between them, Shikamaru was sure the two of them could get along very well.

But he went on nonetheless. "I've seen your picture. You know; the one with Mrs. Yamanaka." Hajime's jaws immediately tightened. "And I know the whole story. Everything."

"Auntie told you?" He asked breathlessly. His expression was grim.

"No," Shikamaru lied, starting to feel sorry. He knew it was humiliating for Hajime to discuss the matter with a person whom he just met for five minutes. "Um, Ino."

"She showed you my picture?!" Hajime looked furious. "But she wasn't supposed to show it to anybody!"

"We're good friends," Shikamaru said calmly. "We're very close. We always share our secret."

Hajime turned silent, observing Shikamaru. His face was burning with embarrassment. Then he slowly spoke in a quiet, "So you're Shikamaru."

It was Shikamaru's turn to be surprised. "I thought you said you didn't remember knowing me."

"Well, that's true. I didn't know you. And I never seen you before," said Hajime. "But I heard about you. Auntie told me."

"Auntie – you mean Ino's mom?" Hajime nodded. Shikamaru wondered how close Hajime with Ino's mother for he being able to call her "Auntie". "She talked about me?"

"Yeah, about you and Miss Sun…– Ino being genin teammates and all." The sparkling green eyes turned quite cheerless. "She said you are good friends, really close. Miss – uh, Ino always depend on you."

"Oh, yeah." _That_, Shikamaru pointed out, _wasn't a lie_. "So you can't blame her about me knowing you _that_ way, you know."

"I guess…though I prefer her keeping the proposal to herself rather than sharing the news with you." Hajime smiled wanly. "It is damned embarrassing we get to – er – know each other this way. Certainly you'd already know by now she rejected me?"

He turned pink even more. Shikamaru wished he did not because he felt more and more sorry. If he was in Hajime's shoes…

"It must be hard for you."

"Yeah… I really, really like her, you know." Hajime avoided from looking into Shikamaru's eyes. "Ever since I was little I always hoped – well – dreamed that she will be my – uh, you know – one day. But his father never liked me – I think, I don't know why – and said Mi… – Ino is too young to marry. I thought I came to talk to her father just before I go back to Otafuku later this evening…trying my luck but unfortunately he's on a mission. And I thought I better see the girl in question myself but…"

His voice trailed away as he heaved a big sigh, obviously losing his confidence. Sympathetic at the heavy sigh, however, Shikamaru didn't let his guard down. Though rejected, this guy here _still_ could give him greatest competition because it was Ino's _father_ who rejected the guy, not Ino herself.

"Listen," Shikamaru drew Hajime's attention, sounding a little business-like. "Ino confides in me almost everything and she told me she was sorry for – uh - rejecting you. She likes you _a lot_, but you're just…not the guy for her."

"She really said that?" Hajime asked, looking crestfallen.

"It was hard for her making that decision…I mean, she said you and her are good friends and all…but she had to listen to her father, you know how her father is…" _That_, Shikamaru thought, _was an outright lie._ "Besides, like I said before, you are not really…the right guy for her."

Hajime opened his mouth to say something but Shikamaru continued, "Ino is seeing someone at the moment."

"Oh." The handsome guy paled. "I didn't know…"

"I know how you feel," Shikamaru nodded knowingly. "It's terrible. But the guy she's seeing, you don't wanna mess with him. He's," Shikamaru searched for some strong words, "very _protective_ and hot-tempered, easily angered, that guy. Strong and smart and…really _good-looking_."

_That_, he asked himself, _where did all come from?_

Hajime gasped, looking horrorstruck. "Oh, yeah… I heard about that _Uchiha Sasuke_."

Shikamaru blinked then cursed silently. The one he was describing _wasn't_ Sasuke! He didn't realize he just revealed a part of proud self that he securely shadowed all these years.

But whatever, Hajime seemed to fall for it. "I see what you mean," he said. "No guy in his right mind bother to mess up with M… – Ino when Uchiha Sasuke was involved. No competition, that one."

Wordlessly, Shikamaru nodded. His annoyance resurfaced but the same time relieved. Seriously this guy just believed what he said without inspecting _anything?_

_And he…_

"Well, I guess I go back with empty hands," Hajime concluded, trying to sound cheery. "After the clan tragedy, I'm sure nobody will ever want to take whatever belongs to him anymore. _He won't like it_."

_Back off just like that?!_

"Yeah," Shikamaru agreed sarcastically. "Glad you see that."

Hajime held out his right hand, seeming to have all his confidence back and feeling OK with the whole thing. Just because he thought Uchiha Sasuke was involved with Ino. Smart and brave he might've looked, but in heart he was just a coward. He didn't dare to stand up for a girl he liked and blindly accepted his defeat with open heart. "Well, I guess we never properly introduced. My name is Shinkai Hajime. It's really nice to meet you."

Hesitantly, Shikamaru shook the hand and flashed a handsome smile the best he could. "Nara Shikamaru." _And I hope I'll never see you again._

"Let's have some drink together next time we meet," Hajime suggested, looking happy for making a new contact in Konoha. Ino seemed forgotten.

Shikamaru instantly gaped. "You mean you're going to be in Konoha _again?!_" Maybe he sounded a little bit rude but funnily, Hajime didn't notice.

"Yeah," Hajime nodded briefly, pleased with himself. "Hokage-sama just offered me a post at the Academy – most of the teachers are busy with the upcoming Chuunin Exam, so she wanted me to take over the Taijutsu class. Oh, just for your information," Hajime pointed at his chest, "I'm a Karate master."

If Shikamaru didn't know better, he seriously doubted him. But, "Yeah, I heard you owned a dojo," he mumbled, thinking furiously. How was he going to keep Ino out of this guy next time? If the two meet at last, then the truth will surface and Hajime will know he had been fooled. "Mrs. Yamanaka told me, said it's one of the best in Fire Country."

"Ah…auntie always making up flattering stories about me," Hajime laughed. "But what she said is true though."

"Great," Shikamaru said, frowning. This Hajime guy certainly had a weird personality. Handsome and charming, nice and decent yet kind of a bragging type but at the same time somewhat down-to-earth. Complicated.

"Can you do me a favor – um – can I call you Shikamaru?"

"What is it?"

"Um, can you please keep my visit out of earshot from M—Ino? It would be pathetic if she come and find me, you know, don't want that Uchiha Sasuke to know that I'm trying to steal his girl." This time, Hajime was bending low, whispering to Shikamaru.

_Don't worry. I'm not stupid enough to let her know_, Shikamaru growled silently but nodded nonetheless. And the problem solved itself. Hajime exhaled breaths of relief.

"Thanks! You're my life saver! I better get going – want to be home before dark. We'll meet again, alright?"

_In your dreams_, Shikamaru thought but returned Hajime's wave as he dashed hurriedly out of his sight.

He might be the handsome and all, but he was still an idiot.

And Shikamaru wasn't a genius for nothing.

**x**

Ino blinked furiously, catching her breath. Her mind seemed fail to register that the person standing in front of her was indeed the same person she was thinking short moments before. Naruto… What influence…

"Gaara…-sama."

Hooded yet it didn't stop his piercingly green eyes from going right through her. The redheaded Kazekage studied her profile with mildest interest, taking in her whole changed attire. Ino knew: she was no longer the kunoichi wearing a skimpy outfit, flaunting her thumbs-up body.

"You've changed," he commented quietly. "Yamanaka."

Ino was surprised he even remembered her name. "Ah," she agreed nervously. "Life has been…great."

She wondered how on Earth she'd be the one he greeted. Then she realized her current location. The ice cream stall stood right at the end of the street where it faced the main Konoha gates. She must've been the first person he saw, and undoubtedly recognized.

Gaara was still standing there silently, still observing her. Ino clutched her ice cream tight, which was beginning to melt.

"Once you're finished," he turned sideways. "Take me to a place where I can rest. Then after that…"

There, Ino saw, the Kazekage had the faintest joy on his face. Maybe the thought of seeing one Konoha greatest troublemaker melted his ice mask.

"…I shall see him."

They walked in silence. People around didn't seem to pay attention to the two, for most of them were civilians. But Ino noticed some of the ninjas went past them took a double take at her companion. Curiosity and (perhaps) fear gleamed in their eyes. "Um, Gaara-sama," Ino began slowly. "Do you want me to inform Tsunade-sama about your arrival? I'm sure she could arrange your stay at the Hokage Tower."

"Don't bother," he answered shortly, eyeing every inn they passed, maybe seeking for a place that was private and comfortable. Gaara loved peacefulness and silence. "I'm not on formal visit. Temari's should do."

"Temari – Oh! But I didn't know where she was staying…" Ino tried to remember if Shikamaru ever mention where the ambassadors (or specifically Temari) usually stayed whenever they were at Konoha, but her mind was blank. She didn't have that information.

Help came moments later. Luckily, they bumped into that particular kunoichi as they round a corner.

The blonde was surprised as well seeing her little brother was there. "Gaara!" She frowned at him. "What are you – you're not supposed to be here!"

Gaara stared coldly at her. "It's not your place to decide whether or not I should be here, Temari." And perhaps for the first time, Ino saw Temari's cheeks turned pink. Gaara glanced at the other kunoichi before turning his gaze back to his sister. "I came here to see Uzumaki Naruto. He invites me for his training."

"But – I'm sorry," she almost stuttered. Though Gaara had changed slightly over the years, ever since he fought Naruto, the habit of fearing him seemed hadn't subsided. Or maybe, Ino thought deeply, it was merely _respect_.

"What happened to you, Temari-san?" Ino asked, examining the cuts and scratches on her arms and a bit of her face. "Did you just come out of the Forest?"

Finally acknowledging her presence, Temari gave a brief nod. "We've finished our work there."

"And that means…"

"Shikamaru's out as well, yeah."

Ino felt excitement burst within her at the thought of seeing Shikamaru again. However, she had matters to discuss with Temari first. So she pushed the thought aside. She gave the older kunoichi a knowing look. "Um, do you want me to heal your wounds for you?"

Understood, Temari shook her head. "It's alright. I can tend it myself."

"But Temari-san –"

"Later, Yamanaka." She glanced at her brother who seemed making no interest in their conversation but all in all watching and listening, perhaps sensing something odd with the way they talked and looked at each other. "I'll see you later. Come, Gaara. I show you where I was staying. You must be tired from the long journey."

"We stop by at someplace to eat, Temari. I'm hungry."

"No problem," Temari turned to Ino and out of her expectations, she smiled warmly.

"Don't worry, Yamanaka. You'll see me soon enough." Ino glanced at Gaara. Now he had a curious look on his face. His green eyes narrowed, shamelessly staring at her face. "I've been thinking about it. It's alright. "

It wasn't exactly a "Yes" or "Okay" but Ino took it as the assurance she wanted to hear for so long. She assumed Temari just given her the green light to carry on whatever her plan will be.

So it was time to begin Phase Two.

…**to be continued.**

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	26. Phase Two

_A/N: First of all, I want to apologize for being away for so long. I was on holiday (yeah, right…)_

_Again, this is not a typical ShikaIno story. If you're looking for lovey-dovey story, then I'm afraid you have to back off. This is ANGST. There's very little amount of romance between Shikamaru and Ino in here. Their journey of love is very tough. And remember, whatever happen has its __reasons__._

_And GOMEN (REALLY GOMEN) it is sooo late. _

**Chapter 26: Phase Two**

Ino's plan, however, was unexpected.

It was absurd, really.

"Ino, I thought about it many, many times but still have doubts about this, your plan…this so-called _Phase Two_. Sure you could pull this through?" Sakura voiced her heart out one late afternoon, during her break from training when Ino came over for a visit. They were sitting under a tree, watching the incredible sparring between Naruto and Gaara. Sasuke, who was also taking a break, was feet away from them, far enough for their conversation from getting to his ears. "You know, Ino, I'm not really sure whether you should carry on with this anymore. Just drop it and tell him, okay? Come clean about the whole thing. I think –"

"We've discussed this before, Sakura, and you were _okay_ with it." Ino butted Sakura's words, holding her hands up and glancing at Sasuke. But he seemed unaware of their conversation. He had his full attention focused on the pairing sparring ahead. "I know what I'm doing, okay. Or have you lost your faith in me?"

"It's not _you_ I worry about, Ino," Sakura sighed. "But Shikamaru. With amount of time he spent with Temari nowadays, don't you think –?"

"He's gonna fall in love with her?" Ino chuckled grimly. "If he loves me like you always said, he _won't_. That's why I'm doing this. It's a test, Sakura."

"But what if Temari –?"

"I _trust_ Temari," Ino said firmly. "There's no way she would betray me – if that's what you think. She's had her chance long before this and she never made a move, not even once. Personally, I think she had never been attracted to Shikamaru. And she's the only person capable of doing this job."

"But that was _before_. Shikamaru has _changed_, Ino. He might be a lazy ass, unattractive boy during our younger days but he's all different now. He's turning into a man," Sakura gazed at Naruto then Sasuke with dreamy expression, softly murmuring, "Naruto, Sasuke-kun, even Gaara-kun…all are turning into men, _gorgeous_ men. Temari might be attracted to Shikamaru any day now, you cannot deny that. You put Shikamaru into a vulnerable position."

"I know," Ino lowered her gaze to the soil at her foot. "I don't doubt there's a high possibility that they might be attracted to each other. _But I trust Temari._ I bet my _life_ on her. And I got the impression that my plan _won't_ backfire on me."

Sakura sighed at her best friend's stubbornness and self-confidence. "But what about you?"

Ino turned sideways, looking at Sakura. Her eyebrows met. "What about me?"

"Are you sure your heart won't change in the distance you put between Shikamaru and you? Because we both know you are the one who is so easy to move on." Again, a glance at Sasuke.

"That, I cannot be sure, Sakura. But considering how _painful_ I feel without being near to Shikamaru like always I'm sure my feelings won't die any sooner." Ino's voice turned into a whisper. Just thinking about Shikamaru hurt so badly. As soon as Temari gave her green light, Ino did not waste any time to begin her Phase Two. She began it without even seeing Shikamaru. Now she missed him so much. "I always love him, Sakura. Always."

Sakura studied the blonde's expression. She knew perfectly well what Ino was talking about. After a few days Ino declared Phase Two has begun, she spent more and more time isolating herself from Shikamaru and with Temari's help it was hard for him to find time to see her like he always did. Temari always kept him busy; always made sure he was right beside her almost all the time, playing her part well, distracting his thoughts and body from going to her.

"Surely you're not doing this on purpose, this _plan_ of yours?" The green eyes narrowed. Sakura certainly had smelled something.

Ino wore her expression as innocent as possible. "What do you mean?"

"We both know you are hardly a forgiving person – don't deny! I know you well, Ino. I assume you're doing this for the sake of…revenge?"

"_What are you talking about?"_

It was getting clearer to Sakura, of what Ino's true intention really was. "I get it now. Your plan is not really a _test_. It's simply a _punishment_. You're still mad at him, don't you? Deep in your heart there's still anger. He didn't want you and your baby, that's why you're doing this." Ino opened her mouth to protest but Sakura quickly silenced her. "You _want_ him, yet you isolate yourself, distancing yourself. _You know he loves you_, but you punish him this way. Just because of your _stupid_ anger. What do you exactly want, Ino?" Sakura recalled the night where she found Shikamaru holding a sleeping Ino in his arms, her cheeks still wet from crying. She had asked Shikamaru about their talk and he told her they were going to be alright. Hearing that, Sakura assumed whatever negative feelings Ino felt towards Shikamaru had gone. No more problems. They were beginning a fresh start. "I don't believe you! You're still keeping your freaking anger! I thought it was over!"

Ino didn't answer. She found no reason to retort, to deny. True, the angst in her had not disappeared completely. It was only buried. Deep, deep within her.

"Why, Ino?"

It took Ino almost an eternity to produce such a simple answer. "Pain," she said softly. "I'm giving him back."

Sakura frowned. _"What?"_

"Before we proceed to something…new, I want to give back the pain, Sakura. The pain he caused me. _On my baby's behalf._ Then I could move on from what has been haunting me in these past few months. Then I could give him _all_ my love – if he's still in love with me."

Sakura's mouth hung open. "I cannot believe you, Ino…" She shook her head, looking really worried and confused. "Just because of _that?_ You're only torturing yourself and Shikamaru! _How could you?_ Then what about your plan on getting him? What about all your sweet acts, your flirty gestures before? Were you just fooling him around? How could you do this to him, to yourself?"

"I wasn't fooling him, I was serious," Ino answered timidly. "But I couldn't…I couldn't just let go!"

"He didn't deserve this, Ino…" Sakura shook her head. "Both of you don't deserve this. Can't you just clear it up? Forget everything? Because I'm sure Shikamaru could've done better if there was still time, Ino, if given second chance. He was just…late. So please…"

"Even if he has the second chance, it would be no use. I told you about my dad, Sakura. He's gonna kill me if he finds out. Even if he doesn't, I'm sure he'll force me to do the abortion. He'll be ashamed of me. I am no longer his pure, innocent daughter. And I cannot risk Shikamaru's life – dad's gonna kill him, too. I cannot bring war to our families…"

"You don't know unless you try, Ino."

"It's too late to stop now, Sakura." Ino said firmly, meeting the green eyes. "Phase Two has begun. No turning back."

Sakura was ready to retort when suddenly she saw Gaara was standing very close to them. She didn't realize when or how long he had been there. She and Ino could really get carried away when having the "Girl Talk". But to her relief, Gaara wasn't listening. Instead he was watching Naruto jogged to his spot.

Then Sasuke's voice rang in her ears, making her heart jump. "It's our turn. Let's go, Sakura."

Sasuke had got up from his seat under the tree, also standing close looking down at her. Sakura chanced a glance at Ino, who was already white with fear, her mouth clamped shut. She had said the word 'abortion' out loud. And if Sasuke had paid attention from the start, they had let him into the secret. Though Sakura did not see, she knew Ino's heart was hammering fast just like hers.

She sighed. The secret was burdening her with a brutal weight she never imagined.

"Sakura."

Hastily, Sakura wore her boots back. As she pulled her glove over her right hand, she silently prayed the boys hadn't heard a single thing they discussed mere seconds ago.

"Go," Ino whispered, struggling to keep the color on her face. In her mind only raced, "Gosh, if Sasuke-kun hears, what he will think of me?"

Sakura got up and followed Sasuke to the destroyed training ground, back to her normal mode. "I might as well train for Jounin Exam, with all these madness!" She complained out loud, shaking what Sasuke and Gaara possibly hear from their ears.

"Wait 'til I become chuunin, Sakura-chan! Then we'll take it together! Just the two of us, forget Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled, collapsing beside Ino. He showed his injured body to her. "Look! Gaara's being nasty! Heal me, so that I could pay back all these injuries!"

"You don't need healing, you have Kyuubi," came Gaara smooth voice when Ino was ready to produce the green chakra. "Don't bother, Yamanaka."

Sure enough, the wounds on Naruto's body began to heal themselves. Ino watched in astonishment while Naruto stuck up his nose. "Hmph! I'm not gonna thank _this_ bastard!"

"Ungrateful brat. Face it; you're just _not_ strong enough. Maybe without Kyuubi, you're ten times worse."

Ino blinked. Was Gaara actually teased? She never thought he would converse so easily and so naturally with other people, yet with Uzumaki Naruto his ice mask was completely gone. Was that his true self? If that was, then Ino was lucky she had come to the training ground today and witnessed his revealed nature.

The two Jinchuurikis (though one was without his Bijuu anymore) continued their bickering. "Shut up. I still can beat you, you know," Naruto scowled, taking a water bottle Ino brought and gulped the content in one go. "I haven't showed you my best jutsus yet. Stuck up bastard."

Ino laughed. "Careful. He's still the Kazekage, you know."

"Hmph! His title means nothing to me!"

The afternoon wore off with more threesome bickering between Naruto, Gaara and Ino and only being stopped by a loud call from Sakura, who asked the two boys to join her at the training ground. Sasuke and Naruto just decided to team up and spar against Sakura and Gaara when the blue sky turned grey.

_It's going to rain_, Ino thought, looking up and feeling a raindrop on her cheek. She drifted her gaze back to the four and saw they were still in their stances. They didn't even care about the suddenly changed weather.

"Well," Ino shrugged to herself, packing her things. "Looks like it's time for me to go back." Then remembering the numerous works in the lab waiting for her, she groaned out loud.

As she left the training ground with her head held high, she didn't realize that two pairs of eyes were watching her every move very intently.

**x**

Shikamaru wanted to smoke.

So. Very. Badly.

He didn't know where the hell he got that feeling. He hadn't felt that feeling since long ago. But now it all came back. Maybe it was because of overloaded work for the Chuunin Exam (as if depended on him alone) or maybe it was because of Tsunade gave so many work to Ino that she became so busy these days and never spare even a second to see him or talk to him or even let him catch a glimpse of her or whatever, or maybe…

Shikamaru glanced at his side and threw his face away to the other side, scowling.

…because of that _woman_ always following him everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

"Tell me why you are here _again_?" He spoke through gritted teeth.

Temari smiled sweetly (though a vein popped on her forehead). "I told you I need to get something for Gaara."

"Something from a _sake_ shop?"

"What's wrong with that?"

Shikamaru 'tch'ed sarcastically. "He's underage."

"And so are you."

"I'm here for Godaime." Actually Shikamaru saw the sake shop as a last resort escapade (after 150 before crushed into dust easily).

"Oh, well thought." Temari shrugged like she didn't care. She moved to a spot next to him and scanned the lined sake in front of her carefully (with full interest), as if she _really_ going to buy one of them.

"Actually," Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets irritably, "Godaime sure won't mind if I leave the buying to Shizune. I guess I call it a day. See you later."

"Yeah, later." But Temari's steps fell beside him the instant he left the shop. Shikamaru fought the urge to blow himself off (or rather that woman) with an explosive tag.

"I thought you were going to buy _Gaara_ something?"

"Like you said," again, Temari shrugged with a sinister smile. "He's underage."

"Well said." Shikamaru nodded, flashing the similar smile. His head began to hurt. Why won't she leave him alone?!

The sky cast orange hue across the horizon. The sun slowly set. It was dusk, where usually working people started to retire from work and returned home. Shikamaru wondered whether Ino still be working in the lab around this time.

"I'll go this way," he pointed his left, where the road indicated hospital. "I'll see you –"

Temari grabbed his arm instantly. "I'm hungry. Let's eat at the yummy meat shop people in here always talk about. Come on, it's no fun eating alone!"

Shikamaru groaned out loud.

_Troublesome woman!_

**x**

The next day Ino was summoned to the Hokage's office. Gladly leaving the lab, she wondered what it was Tsunade want from her. She hadn't received a mission for a while and she hoped for one. When she walked into the office, she found out that Tsunade and her loyal assistant Shizune had a serious look on their faces, as if they'd just discussing something very important. Hinata was there as well. The pale-eyed girl gave her a nervous smile and she smiled back in return.

And by the office window, a seated Gaara surprised her.

His face told her that he didn't want to be there. Ino wondered how Tsunade found out about the Kazekage's presence in Konoha. But it wasn't impossible to know. Some ninjas probably seen him and reported to her.

"So, are you and Sakura doing okay?" Tsunade broke the silence and jumped straight into business. Ino quickly turned to meet Tsunade's eyes, startled at the question. Gaara cast his eyes outside the window, like wishing he could just jump out of it and disappear.

"Um…yeah, except she hasn't been in the lab recently. I'm sure you know she helps Naruto with his training, right?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "As if Sakura alone is not enough to help him. Uchiha Sasuke is a great rival and sometimes Kakashi drops by to train with them. What was he thinking calling the Kazekage all the way to Konoha?" She glanced at the person mentioned. Despite his title, Gaara was still a kid. A teenager. Underage. And his expression at that time only meant, "I don't want to be here anymore. I wanna go out and play with Naruto."

Ino didn't know what to say. She wondered whether Gaara had gotten a good lecture from Tsunade (not that Tsunade didn't respect Gaara as the leader of Suna) maybe she thought Gaara wasn't supposed to leave his village in order to join Naruto in his training. What would his people say when they find out their leader is helping their opponent to win?

Ino got the point.

"Tsunade-sama, about the thing we discuss before…" Shizune reminded her.

"Ah, yes…" Tsunade turned her attention back to Ino but still looked thoroughly annoyed. "How are you doing with the experiment alone?"

Ino hesitated a little. "Well, I was poor at the beginning…but I'm getting pretty good."

"And I understand you helped as well, Hinata?"

Hinata's head bobbed anxiously. "I hope it's al-alright."

"Of course it's alright. Helping Ino is good for your practice." Tsunade picked a scroll in front of her. "This," she showed it to Ino, "came this morning. From Suna. A mission request. They hope we could share our medical technology with them, in exchange they share theirs." Tsunade looked sideways at Gaara and Ino knew instantly that they had talked about this before she came. "I never had the chance to study Suna's exotic plants before and I know they make great medicines and poisons. This mission is beneficial for both villages and whatever we get from this mission will be very useful in the future. So," Tsunade clasped her fingers together, "I want to offer this mission to you."

Ino felt the excitement rose within her.

**X**

"So, how did it go?" Naruto asked with surprisingly worried face as soon as Gaara arrived at the training ground, followed by Ino and Hinata. "Oh, hi Ino, Hinata-chan."

"Hi, Naruto!" Ino greeted back. Hinata blushed. "Hi, Na-naruto-kun."

"Bad news." Gaara told him.

"WHATTT?!" Naruto shrieked. "I knew it! That GRANNY!" He cracked his knuckles and rushed forward. "I'm going to talk to her!"

"Drop it." Ino said. The raging blonde turned around furiously. "Whatever you want to say won't work. Whether you like it or not, Gaara's going to Suna tomorrow."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because we will travel together, right Hinata?" A nod (plus a layer of blush).

"What? You're going to Suna?" A sweaty Sakura approached the group with Sasuke not far behind her. He looked mildly annoyed with Sakura's early retirement from their sparring but Sakura was too distracted by Naruto's loud voice. The presence of her best friend and Hinata also grabbed her attention. "Tomorrow? But–"

Naruto stepped between Sakura and Ino. "Why he has to go with you?"

"Because he has to."

Before Naruto could protest some more Sakura pushed him aside impatiently. "Wait. What this is all about? I don't understand."

"Tsunade-sama gave us a mission," Ino answered, gesturing Hinata.

"A _mission_?!"Sakura's eyebrows met.

"Yeah, a mission. Actually, it's for the three of us – you, Hinata and I – but Tsunade-sama prefers you to leave after the Chuunin Exam," Ino explained. She gave Naruto a look. He was listening but looked very agitated with the news. "She wants you to stay for the training and finish the experiments. I cannot tell you the details though. She'll brief you about the mission after everything's over." The reason Tsunade held Sakura a little longer was because she knew Naruto would be devastated if Sakura gone, too.

"Great, training and lab work at the same time." Sakura sighed heavily.

"I'm going to talk to her," Naruto decided. "She cannot do this. The exam is less than fourteen days!"

"Naruto." Ino stopped him once again. "There's no use talking to her. We've been given a mission and Gaara's going to take us to Suna tomorrow."

"But my training–"

Ino sighed heavily. "Look, I'm sorry to say this, Naruto, but what needs him the most is his village, not _you_. You are _strong_. Your teammates are more than _enough_ for your training. He's been told to go back, so let him go."

Naruto turned to Gaara, expecting him to say something. Gaara was expressionless but his gaze showed that he agreed with what Ino just said. Earlier, when he was looking out of the window, a part of Tsunade's lecture knocked some sense into him. As a Kazekage, he was being irresponsible.

"Kankurou said in his letter that I made everyone worried for MIA. But he found out I was here so he asked me to come back."

Naruto let out a helpless moan. "So after I left she asked you to return, huh?" Ino quickly concluded that Tsunade had called Naruto along with Gaara and probably _he_ was the one being lectured, not the Kazekage. And judging from Tsunade's foul mood proved that Naruto did not just left without making a riot.

Gaara nodded.

Like a kid lost his candy, Naruto started to whine. Sakura, who absorbed all the information and understood the situation, put her hands on her hips. "Oh, stop it. Don't you feel ashamed of yourself? You have troubled him and his people! You'll hurt his reputation if you make him stay any longer. What will Suna-nin think if they know their own leader is helping a Konoha genin to win the exam?"

"But…they know Gaara and I are friends! They'll understand!"

"You think a Kazekage can take a time off just like that? Naruto, he has a _village_ to take care of!"

"Kami, you're being childish…" Ino shook her head. "Whine all you want, he's going back anyway, whether you like it or not."

Sasuke walked slowly to them and spoke for the first time, "Are you going to stand there chatting all day or what?"

All attention went to him.

"Enough break. Let's continue our training." Then without making a comment about Gaara's return to Suna tomorrow, he walked back to the training ground.

With just that, he put the arguments to rest. Gaara slowly followed his track. And leaving with no choice, Naruto followed suit.

"Em…" Hinata suddenly spoke. "Is it alright if I leave first, Ino-san? I want to inform Kiba-kun and Shino-kun about my mission."

"Sure." Ino replied. Hinata bowed to both of them and took her leave. "I have to leave as well, Sakura. There are a lot of things to do. Tell my parents, pack my things, visit some places…"

"Will you say goodbye to Shikamaru?"

Ino smiled mysteriously and without saying anything but giving Sakura a wave, she walked away, leaving the pink-haired girl to wonder.

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_A/N: Not a very good chapter. I had a HUGE writer's block. Forgive me for that. I'll fix it another time. About Ino's Phase Two, I'll explain it in the next chapter. The reasons and all…_

_A petition for ShikaIno special episode by Masashi Kishimoto for _**Sakura12, Flaming Beauty, aki-child, nazzy and jerkez, The blackdash, Nemrut, MayumiNorika, Bella-Rose, MoonIdiot, SkyBell, Wings-chan, wonderwoman29, braindamage730, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, A Flying Sponge, sad little monkey, Ebil Chameleon, Kait, chikarubunny, Doggone2dog,93addict, Kisame Fish Sticks, x0x, NoNameFace333333, Kayla, Shera-girl, AnimeFanatic223, AGENT RACH, The Reading Maid, Milady Kagura, crazilyinsanelady, rainoftears,Emily-Jade, Zaton, hyperactivesoccerchick, Ninna Boo, lala-sama, A Person, Miakmi, zzTroublesomezz, rabid behemoth, nadakesgurl, SkyMaiden, kayla, lildreamerx3, escsamx, tomboy14, Firestorm, itachiXdeidara,SupahAttackPea, Anything but Normal, GoldenKitsuneHime13, Jill-kun, Kait, Ginriku, sophia666, UglyXXDuckling, Fallen to Earth, rallybabe89, darktank, Lord Eraendall, AlisterRainbow, Junipe11, dyingtosurvive, Lavender, sesshoumaru4me, DarkMaidenTerri, bluestrdrmr, shyxvibrant-love, Kait, snowbells, shelvesinthecloset, chidori532, ishgreeklady and Jarield**_ to sign._

_(You know you want their special episode – xoxo Ara)_

_Thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter!_

* * *


	27. Phase Two Pt 2

**Chapter 27: Phase Two Pt. 2**

The only escape Shikamaru could think of after another meeting ended was to go straight back home.

And he meant HOME.

As expected, Temari didn't bother to follow him further as soon as his front door came into view.

It was unlocked. Shikamaru let himself in. He hadn't been inside his parents' house since he asked his mother to cook ramen at two in the morning. Leaving his furious mother throwing word after word to his ears in painfully high-pitch tone holding a steaming bowl of ramen Shikamaru knew it was going to be some time before he could return with ease.

"I'm home," he announced his arrival. There was no answer as he usually heard. The house looked empty. But when he bent down to take off his shoes, he noticed that his mother's sandal was there along with some else's.

_A guest?_

Then sound from the kitchen caught his attention. Some people were talking. Shikamaru recognized one of the voices as his mother's. But who was her companion?

Definitely not his father. Shikaku was rarely home during daytime.

Curiosity got the best out of Shikamaru, plus he was thirsty and quite hungry so he made his way to the kitchen.

_Who…?_

His question was answered as soon as he saw the person seated at the table. Apart from Yoshino, his mother, a very, very familiar face appeared in his line of vision.

Ino looked as surprised as he was upon seeing his face. Her blue eyes rounded. For a second, Shikamaru noticed her breath stuck in her throat, being caught off guard.

Cold sweat formed in Ino's palms, nervousness clouded her heart. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Shikamaru – it might just been a few days but it felt like eternity. Seeing he at the kitchen door made her realized that she missed him so, so much.

He looked exhausted, but great.

Their eyes met for a moment and after exchanging a small, awkward smile, Shikamaru averted his gaze to his mother. Yoshino was sitting opposite Ino, filling a jar with cookies. She didn't make any gesture that showed she saw him there. Shikamaru walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the head of the table, where his father usually sat. Ino was at his left, while his mother was opposite her. If there was one thing surprised him other than seeing Ino, it was his mother.

She was unusually quiet.

Shikamaru was sure he heard some talking before he came in and one of the voices was Yoshino's. But now the atmosphere was altogether different. Yoshino didn't greet him or anything. No fussing, no bossing. Shikamaru found it a bit disturbing.

A quiet Yoshino always meant something was wrong.

"Hi, mom." He broke the silence. Yoshino didn't reply. She didn't even look at him.

Shikamaru arched his eyebrows. He started to feel weary. Instantly, he knew his presence wasn't needed for the time being. Damn, he picked the wrong time to visit.

_Old man must have something to do with this…_

So he turned his attention to Ino and forgot about his mother completely. A nice, warm feeling spread inside his chest. It was like seeing sunshine after the rain. "Hey."

"Hey," she greeted back, smiling. But there was something odd with her expression. Her eyes were nervous.

He knew she didn't expect him to be there.

Ino felt guilty but excited at the same time. Guilty because she was hurting him without his realization and excited because she was sitting "this" close, face-to-face with someone she greatly missed and loved.

"This is a surprise." Shikamaru said truthfully. His hand plunged for an empty cup from the tea tray and helped himself for a cup of tea. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm having a tea with your mother," Ino's answer sounded like well-rehearsed.

Shikamaru's gaze fell to a plate of Yoshino's infamous chocolate chip cookies in front of Ino. Judging from the heavenly smell of freshly baked cookies lingered in the air he guessed the cookies were still hot from the oven. Ino was able to make Yoshino made them especially for her. Wow.

But that didn't surprise him at all. He always knew Ino had a good relationship with his mother.

"Meeting's over?"

"Yeah…"

"Tired?"

"You have no idea." What Shikamaru meant wasn't the meeting but escaping from Temari.

"Oh, really…" Ino nodded, knowing exactly what was on his mind.

"Really." Shikamaru confirmed. "But tell me, what exactly are you doing here?"

"I'm having a tea with your mother." Ino repeated. Shikamaru gave her a look.

"Tch. You just want to eat cookies."

Ino grinned at his teasing but Yoshino suddenly snapped, "That's a rude thing to say, Shikamaru! What's wrong with Ino being here? It was nice of her to drop by and have a tea with me, unlike my own son!"

Shikamaru made a bored face but careful enough to not let his mother see. "I was busy, mom." He stole a cookie from Ino's plate and popped it into his mouth.

"Ino's busy but she still has time to visit her parents!"

"Well, our work is completely different from each other…"

"Don't make excuses! You just don't care enough!" Shikamaru sighed heavily. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling. _Did I say something wrong?_

Oh, why can't she be nice to him like she was to Ino, for once?

When Shikamaru faced the table again, Yoshino had gone to the sink. With her back on him, Shikamaru couldn't see what she was doing. But the furious '_clank, clank'_ sound of the dishes told him his mother was washing. And _still_ complaining.

Shikamaru massaged his temple and caught Ino's eyes.

_What's wrong with her?_ He mouthed.

Ino shrugged. _She was okay before you came._

"–good for nothing son, just like your father…"

_This is so troublesome… _Shikamaru sighed. _Make her stop. You know you can._

Ino shook her head. She seemed to be enjoying the situation. She popped more cookies into her mouth, sipping tea between chewing.

_You're gonna regret this. _

Yoshino's tirade seemed like forever. Shikamaru thought of disappearing. Ino smiled wider.

Then the last dish banged on the counter with a loud _'Clank!' _and she choked from shock. Ino coughed and grabbed her cup. Her face was red. But then it turned white seeing her cup was empty. Holding his laughter, Shikamaru handed her his.

_See?_

Ino rolled her eyes, drinking quickly.

Yoshino grabbed a clean rag and started wiping the dishes one by one. "One day when you become a parent then you'll know how I feel." She said grudgingly. Her shoulders shook violently. "And hopefully your child won't become something like you!"

Shikamaru stiffened immediately. He drew a sharp breath and looked at Ino. His mother was touching a very sensitive subject here.

"–lazy, do nothing but play shougi, napping whenever there's time…"

"Mom," Shikamaru said warningly, his eyes still on Ino. The blonde didn't show any expression or say anything. But her mouth curved a bit.

"–always spend time with friends, leaving me alone, go out late at night and come back all drunk…"

Ino hid her mouth with her hand. Shikamaru heard a chuckle.

"–never listen to what I say, call me _'Troublesome'_ – WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" Yoshino suddenly turned around and got more fired up seeing a smirk played on Shikamaru's lips, a smirk naturally formed after seeing Ino's red face. Yoshino didn't see Ino though – her back on her. Hands on her hips, Yoshino marched to Shikamaru. "You think I'm telling you a joke?"

"No, mum–"

"You're just like your father!" She hollered. Shikamaru started to feel annoyed. He knew it. His father must've upset her and he was the perfect person for Yoshino to lash her anger.

"Troublesome wom–"

"Don't talk to your mother like that!" Shikamaru opened his mouth to retort but Ino made a quick gesture. _Don't, _she said soundlessly to him, shaking her head.

So he shut up. Grudgingly, of course. With sour face and swollen pride, he absorbed his mother's fury, all of it. As usual, it took a long time for Yoshino to calm down. But at last she stopped, drew a deep breath and turned to Ino.

"Don't ever fall for a Nara," she advised. "He'll make a terrible husband."

"I'll remember that," Ino nodded with a smile, glancing at Shikamaru. He looked helpless and more and more exhausted. _Don't listen to her_, he mouthed.

"Good."

Once Yoshino was busy with her work again, Ino leaned against the table and whispered to Shikamaru, "That was scary."

Shikamaru gave his mother a last look before got up and grabbed Ino's hand. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

**x**

"Wrong timing." Shikamaru complained after they got out of the house.

Ino laughed. "I've never seen her so mad!"

"I've seen worse."

"Really? It can't be that bad. She's always so nice to me…"

"That's because she likes you."

"Really? Oh, that's good. I like her, too."

"You can have her if you want."

"Then… I have to marry you."

"You don't have a choice."

Ino quickly looked up at him. Shikamaru had the slightest color of red on both cheeks, after realizing what he just said. _Damn_, he cursed. His tired body was affecting his brain to not functioning properly. _I shouldn't have said that._

He avoided looking at Ino and found the road ahead very interesting. He tucked his hands in his pockets – something she knew he would do when something was bothering his mind. They continued to walk with uncomfortable silence between them.

In Shikamaru's mind raced furiously: _What will she think about that?_

Ino thought, _Was he serious? _

But she didn't dare to ask and Shikamaru spoke no more.

Should she tease him and take the matter lightly? It wasn't really a problem before her pregnancy. The three of them; she, Shikamaru and Chouji sometimes joked about it, about who will marry who in the end. They'd had the conversation before, lots and lots of conversation. Will the only girl in Team Ten end up with Shikamaru, or Chouji?

Ino diverted her gaze from her feet and realized that she was a little behind Shikamaru. Seeing his back, her heart ached. Starting tomorrow, she won't be able to see him for a long time. Will Phase Two going to work?

For her, it wasn't only about the punishment. It meant a lot of things. Heck, the punishment wasn't even the main thing! Phase Two was about her seeing herself in a new light. Phase Two was about giving herself a time to move on and leave the past behind. Phase Two was about forgiving and forgetting. Phase Two was about shaping herself into someone Shikamaru wanted to marry, becoming a woman of his dreams.

Yeah, she was going to be the average, not pretty but not ugly girl and definitely not troublesome at all.

Just for him.

Ino was willing to sacrifice that much because if they were to be together, she wanted Shikamaru to be perfectly happy with his choice. Not that she couldn't make him happy the way she was right now (and not that she didn't enjoy being beautiful) but when she thought about the conversation he had with Chouji back then, she couldn't feel satisfied with herself. He didn't want her in the first place. He never thought of her as the girl he would marry someday. And she always thought that she was every man's dream, with her beauty and perfect body and her bubbly, lively, cheery personality.

But no, not Shikamaru. He very much preferred a simple, average girl and that was enough for him.

So that was Phase Two all about: downgrading herself.

And she needed some time for that. She couldn't just transform in front of him. He'll be shocked and figured something was wrong with her. So she needed a strong distraction to keep Shikamaru away from her for a while and Temari was the perfect choice.

Plus, her mission came as a blessing.

Ino reached her hand to him and touched his elbow gently. "Shikamaru…"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"I have something to tell you."

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_A/N: Have you ever meet someone, get along really well and fall in love with? Then just when you think that your relationship will work and become something more than friends, you hear something about him that hurts you and take the matter seriously. It affects your relationship. You think you hate him will all your heart but at the same time still madly in love with him. You want to forgive him but you couldn't. You want to tell him that you're hurt but feel so embarrassed. He's clueless about your feelings (and everything) and confesses to you. You want to accept him but your hurt pride won't let you, unless you hurt him, too, then you're even. After back to square one, whatever happens happens._

_I do. I guess I make Ino's character a little bit like me when it comes to relationship. I'm bitchy._

_ShikaIno-shaped chocolates for_ **aki-child, siny, bluestrdmr, Bella-Rose, nikole435, OiToTheWorld, mintxrain, tomboy14, sad little monkey, imissmycupcake, Ladyfingers, Nemrut, CatGirl R and S Fan, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, Flaming Beauty, Ginriku, rainoftears, Juniper11, chidori532, MercyDawn, Kait, x0x, beautifulgeek11, COULK, Akane Arihyoshi, XFamousXLastXWordsX, UglyXXDuckling, you.broke.a.promise, pinkatailmon, shyxvribrant-love, RedMapleLeaf and Storm-sama.**

_Thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter! Enjoy the chocolates! (leave some for me – xoxo Ara)_


	28. Goodbye

**Chapter 28: Goodbye**

"I know you're completely exhausted from all the Chuunin Exam and _stuff_…" Ino took a deep breath, her hand still touching Shikamaru's elbow, "but d'you think we could…you know…go somewhere and talk?"

"Sure." Shikamaru replied, wondering what made Ino so serious all in a sudden. Was that about the thing he just said?

Maybe she wanted to explain to him very, _very_ carefully that as much as she liked his mother, she would never go as far as marrying him just to become his mother's daughter.

Ino led him to a less busy street where they could talk in private and sat on a bench. She looked uneasy.

"What do you want to talk about?" Shikamaru realized they never had a chance being alone together like this ever since the preparation for Chuunin Exam started and Ino became Sakura's research partner. How he missed this moment. His instinct told him that something was coming and it concerned both him and Ino but he just didn't know whether it was good or bad.

"Shikamaru…" Ino hesitated, not quite sure how she should break the news about her mission to him. She knew Shikamaru was going to be upset. She knew he was worried about her, although she didn't see it much but she knew he was going to pamper her if only he wasn't as busy as he was now. "I just went to see Hokage-sama today and…she gave me a mission."

A mission. It wasn't that bad, Shikamaru thought. He was sure she had recovered physically. A mission won't hurt her (or him). Actually it was nice of her to tell him that. He felt like he was still a bit special in her heart, just like the times when they were going to have a baby together. She used to tell him a lot of things, like where she wanted to go, what she wanted to do. "What kind of mission?"

"It's a bit different from what I usually had." Ino bit her lower lip. "It's nothing like spying or guarding someone…"

"Is it a solo mission?" Shikamaru was fine with solo missions, as long as it was like the babysitting job she'd done not long ago.

"No…it's a three-man team mission. I cannot disclose the information to you though, you know that right? But I think I can tell you where this mission takes place." Ino noticed his eyes turned curious. "Suna."

"Suna?"

"Yeah. I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"But…for how long?"

"As long as…" Ino sighed. "As long as I'm needed. I don't know how long it would take. Maybe months, years… – I know what you're thinking." A change of emotion clearly played in Shikamaru's eyes. "I'm not trying to run away from the thing that happened to us or…you. I just want some healing."

"Ino…"

"You know what? This isn't working." Ino pointed her body. "All these things about eating can make you feel better – although it's true – but it's just not me. I'm not being myself. And it hurts."

"But I thought you feel better. And look good…like that." Shikamaru said truthfully.

Ino smiled. The more she thought she looked ugly, the more Shikamaru thought she looked great. It just proved her theory.

"You thought I'm happy and I did feel happy but somewhere inside me still hurting, Shikamaru. I couldn't look at this place, at _you_ without feeling the pain. I thought I'd recovered, physically yes but mentally, emotionally…no. Konoha reminded me so much about…our baby. There's so much memory here.

"That's why I took this mission. I thought being away for a while would be good for me. I'm not going to forget it all… I just need to find myself again, you know? I hope you understand."

"Of course I understand." Shikamaru reached for her hand and held it in a friendly, comforting way. "I'm sorry for making you feel like that. And I'm also sorry for not being there for you, for not being able to help you to feel better."

"Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault." Ino felt like she was going to cry. Shikamaru could be so gentle if he wanted to be. "If there's anybody's fault then it's me. I couldn't protect…"

"Shhh…" Shikamaru stopped her before she went too far. He scooted closer to her and linked an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. He didn't want her to cry. Ino seemed to be so fragile these days even though she always appeared to be strong. "Talk no more. Don't even think about it. It was _not_ your fault. And about your mission…thanks for telling me. I appreciate that."

"Are you okay with it?"

"Why not? If you think it would be good for you then there's no reason for me to stop you from going."

Ino pulled away from his embrace just so she could look into his eyes. "Really?"

"Mm."

He seemed unsure of himself so she asked again. "Really?"

Shikamaru nodded, masking his emotion completely. The truth was he didn't want her to go.

"Naruto whined about it," Ino chuckled, recalling a memory. "I went to the training ground to tell Sakura and he was furious when he heard that Gaara has to go with us to Suna."

"So immature…" Shikamaru commented. "I thought he'd changed from all that he'd been through, but clearly he's still the same ol' Naruto."

"He did mature a bit," Ino stated. "But he's always act like that in front of Sakura. He knew Sakura would bother."

"Oh, so you're saying he was only acting childish just to get her attention?"

Ino nodded. "It really works. Sakura's gonna fuss over him until he's satisfied."

"Eh, that's troublesome. I had enough women fussing over me." Shikamaru thought of his mother and Temari.

Ino cocked her head to the side. "Will you be good when I'm away?"

Shikamaru smirked. "You're saying like I don't know how to take care of myself." But clearly he could picture how his life was going to be without her in it. "I'll be okay."

"No. I mean, you're not going to be crazy for missing me, are you?" Ino meant it as a joke but it was also a good way to know how he really felt. "Do you want me to fuss over you, too? Before I go?"

Shikamaru stared at her long, trying to decipher the real meaning behind her words. Finally, the information sank in. He kicked himself in the head for not noticing earlier.

Damn, he had been so blind.

Ino loved him all these times.

He didn't know when it started, he didn't know it for real, and he wasn't even sure himself. But the thought of Ino loving him, reciprocating his feelings (though unspoken) sent him to the moon.

"Heh, don't worry." He grinned. His heart was jumpily happily inside. A surge of relief flowed through his veins. He'd been so afraid before but now the feeling had gone. "I'll be good." Ino kept looking into his eyes and that almost made him feel uneasy but he challenged her gaze instead. "I'll behave."

"Good." Ino smiled. They seemed to reach an understanding, though non-verbally.

"Is that why you visited my mom? Because you know you're not able to taste your favorite cookies for a long, long time?"

Ino quickly put her hand on her mouth and stood up. "Oh, my gosh!"

"What?" Shikamaru stood as well, panicked. "What is it?"

"I forgot my cookies!" Ino exclaimed almost hysterically. She was totally freaked out. An image of his mother filling the cookies into a jar suddenly flashed in Shikamaru's mind. "I asked her to bake me lots so that I could bring it to Suna! Gosh, how could I forget about it? Shikamaru, let's–"

"No!" Shikamaru quickly put up his hands defensively. "I'm not going back there!"

**x**

Ino strolled out of the Nara resident casually, holding a small jar of cookies, a sly smile on her lips. "Your mom asked us to have dinner together."

"I told you, I'm not going back there." Shikamaru quickly walked away in case his mother burst out of the front door and dragged him inside to lecture him some more. Ino tried to keep up with his big steps.

"You know what your mom tell me more about Nara men? They are really good at running away. She told me over and over again not to get involved with any or…you."

"That troublesome woman," Shikamaru scowled. "Don't listen to her. Don't let her put any of her stupid reasons into your head."

"You shouldn't talk about your mother like that."

"Right. _Sorry._" Shikamaru replied sarcastically. His scowl remained.

Ino laughed out loud seeing his expression. This reminded her so much about their childhood, where she always found Shikamaru sulking because of his mother. He always sought for solace at her home if Chouji wasn't available. And her mother, being a loving and kind woman will pamper him like he was her own son, even though her father disapproved.

"So, where we're going now?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Have you visited your parents?"

Ino nodded. "Em, just before I went to your mom."

"Packed?"

Ino shook her head. Shikamaru's mind reeled. Against his better judgment, he said, "Let's hangout for a while."

Ino felt the excitement. This was like having a date. She figured this wouldn't ruin Phase Two. Spending a little time with him won't hurt her. Besides, she was going to leave him for a great amount of time so it would even the pain he had caused her before. When she came back, they were going to be zero-zero, beginning a fresh start. "Okay. So, where we're going?"

"I have no idea but let's just walk around. We'll know."

The first destination was at the third member of Team Ten, Chouji's house. He just came back from doing a mission with his father, so Ino was very lucky to catch him before she go for her mission the following morning. The three were thrilled for the unplanned reunion that they decided to have dinner together. It was such a fine evening. They ate and talked just like the old times. Ino was sorry it ended as she and Shikamaru bid Chouji goodbye at his front door.

Next, they just resumed their walk around Konoha, chatting and laughing along the way. It seemed like all that happened before had never happened. Ino never felt a blast in Shikamaru's company like she was having right now. They walked and walked without nowhere specific to go and all in a sudden they arrived at their late sensei's house.

Kurenai welcomed them in with a warm smile and as soon as Shikamaru's face came into view, a little boy hurriedly went into his arms. He laughed happily as Shikamaru tossed him up in the air and caught him back again. Ino smiled at the image. She knew how close they were. Shikamaru was like a father the boy never had.

"Aw…look at him." Ino couldn't help herself from saying. Kurenai smiled. "Who would've thought that the lazy Shikamaru could be so fantastic with kids?"

Kurenai didn't miss the adoration in Ino's voice, and although it surprised her to see Ino so unlike herself when she first saw her at her doorstep, she didn't voice it. She thought there must be something going on that she didn't know, but figured it wasn't her place to interfere with her affairs.

"He's natural at that." Kurenai commented. She had seen it coming long before her baby was born. Shikamaru always visited her and really took care of her, filling the empty space Asuma had left. It bothered Kurenai at first; she felt Shikamaru shouldn't do that much. Besides, she had Kakashi to take care of her – after all, Kakashi was Asuma's best mate. But Shikamaru was stubborn. Kurenai knew he still had some guilty feeling about Asuma's death. He felt because of his weakness he couldn't save his sensei. So to make it up, he did what he thought was best: taking care of them. "He'll be a great father one day."

Ino's smile altered a little as a string of pain snapped inside her but she quickly gathered herself from letting her emotion take control. "Yeah, I bet he will."

She went to them and offered the boy her cookies.

"Are okay with that?" Shikamaru asked, amused.

"What? Giving up my cookies?"

"Yeah."

"It's okay." Ino shrugged and smiled at the boy. "I've had enough."

"I thought you were going to bring it to Suna."

"I was, but look at him…he's so happy. The cookies are really something, Shikamaru."

"That delicious, huh?"

Ino laughed, patted the boy's head then retreated to Kurenai's side.

"You'll be a great parent, too, Ino." Kurenai commented, a pleased look on her face seeing her late husband's students interacting with her son. "You're fantastic with kids, just like Shikamaru."

"Nah…I don't think so." Ino bit her lower lip.

"Why not?"

"I'm just…terrible."

"You'll know when you experience it yourself – being a mother. It'll come naturally."

Ino cringed. If only Kurenai knew…

They didn't stay long, seeing the little boy needed his sleep. Shikamaru and Ino continued to walk around town, even though they were fully aware that the night was getting late. They didn't want the day to end.

But this time, Shikamaru's better judgment got the best out of him. He was completely worn out from a long day and he knew Ino was, too. She needed a good amount of time to rest because the journey to Suna wasn't easy, plus, she hadn't packed her things yet.

So eventually, their steps led them to a familiar path to her place. However, Ino didn't bother to go inside or bid him goodbye when they arrived. They stood for a couple of minutes in silence, just staring at each other. The stairs was right in front of them but Ino didn't see it somehow. She just ignored it.

At last, she cleared her throat. "So…this is it."

Shikamaru nodded, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Yeah…"

"It's going to be a long journey tomorrow."

"So get some rest. You have to get up early."

"Yeah, we'll leave at dawn."

"I'll see you off."

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Just…don't." Ino chewed the insides of her mouth. "You don't have to wake that early just to see me off. It's…bothersome for you."

"I know it's bothersome but I want to." Shikamaru insisted.

"Don't." Ino said again, shaking her head.

"Why…?"

"I'll cry."

Shikamaru stared down at her, trying to find the blue in her eyes but Ino kept looking down. He knew she was sad for the parting. He was sad, too.

Seeing Ino did not move at all, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into a hug.

He buried his nose at the crook of her neck and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. He was going to miss this. He was going to miss her real bad. It was going to pain him severely inside. He closed his eyes and felt her heart beat the same rhythm with his heart.

"I will come back as good as new." Ino whispered through the rough fabric of his clothing. Her arms traveled upwards and wrapped around his neck. "I'll be a better person."

"I know you will."

Ino smiled, inhaling his masculine scent for the last time before she pulled away. "Will you be good?"

"Don't worry about me." Shikamaru smirked, resting his palm gently on her cheek. "_You_ behave."

A soft chuckle escaped Ino's lips. "I don't think I have time for anything beside work. Plus, I have to shed a couple of pounds off. It's hard. I'm going to be very, _very_ busy."

"You don't have to do that."

"Yes, I do. It's for my mental health." Ino rested her palm on his chest. "Goodbye, Shikamaru." She tip-toed and leaned in to kiss his cheek. As she pulled away, her lips brushed the corner of his mouth.

Shikamaru just nodded, unable to say the same thing to her. A bitter, ugly feeling rose up in his throat. He thought he might cry.

Well, he was already crying inside.

Then without looking back at him, Ino rushed upstairs. That was her final call. She was going to break down. And she didn't want to do it in front of him. Saying goodbye was harder than she expected. She couldn't bear to see his sad face.

But she just had to do it.

She slammed the door behind her after she got into the apartment and cried. Hard.

_I'm sorry, Shikamaru…_

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_A/N: My muse cried. I didn't._

_Tissues for_ **corky21492, pinkatailmon, Elsie0o0, siny, Kiome-Yasha, Archerelf, tomboy14, Spread-My-Wingz-And-Soar, XFamousXLastXWordsX, nazzy and jerkez, CatGirl R and S Fan, rainoftears, Ginriku, you.broke.a.promise, LollyLilyRose, momotaro, aki-child, xxarmisteadxx, sad little monkey, bluestrdrmr, nikole435 and Bella-rose.**

_Thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter! (Blow your nose! – xoxo Ara)_


	29. Alive Again

_The A/N this time is in two parts._

_To my old readers: GOMEN! I've left this fic for so long. I'm not surprised if you guys have forgotten it. But the good news is I'm finally catching up with Naruto. God, I missed so much! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! Here's the new chapter. I look forward to hear your feedback!_

_To new readers: Welcome! I'm so glad you give this fic a chance. I hope you guys will like it. Review, 'kay?_

_This chapter is dedicated to __**For The 19**__**th**__** Time**__ for being my beta._

* * *

**Chapter 29: Alive Again**

For someone who was waiting, time passed unbelievably fast.

Shikamaru missed Ino the moment she ran up the stairs back into Sakura's apartment. The spot where her lips so lightly brushed his burned. Her body, which was so warm in his arms seconds ago was now gone, replaced by cold, empty air. Shikamaru stood frozen in front of the building, too stunned to leave. The confirmation that Ino loved him a great deal, returned his feelings equally maybe to the amount of love he had for her made his head spin. He just couldn't believe that when he was this close to her, she was going far away again. He thought of going after her, but he didn't.

Of course he didn't. He was a guy with many principals, although he didn't appear so. He always said he wanted simple things, and that only showed a simple mind, but in reality, his mind wasn't that simple. His mind was complex, more like a maze. His thinking ability was way beyond people his age. He knew if he went after her, he wasn't going to let her go. She would stay; maybe cancel the mission. And that wasn't good. Ino really needed some time to find herself again, to heal.

Shikamaru spent the night enduring the pain of missing her and the morning after restraining himself from seeing her off. Ino said she was going to cry if he saw her off, but he was afraid that he was the one who would cry instead.

He lived the day as any other day, and without him realizing, a week passed. He counted the days leading to week two, but his already hectic schedule became more hectic as the Chuunin Exam got closer and closer, so he lost count. A lot of things occupied his mind and his time; for example, Temari – she was leeching off of him more and more these days, and at the same time trying to bite his head off – so the pain of missing Ino was lessened a bit. But he still felt agony in his chest whenever he looked at the bright, blue sky, which seemed a lot like the color of Ino's eyes.

He wanted to see her face, her smile, hear her laugh, her voice; he wanted her warmth in his arms, and most of all, he wanted her company. But all he had was the memory he had of her, which was so strong, so powerful. He almost went to Tsunade many times to ask for permission to go to Suna, just for a visit. (Or perhaps he could stay there helping with the mission?)

Days tended to go slower after the Chuunin Exam ended. And soon after the closing ceremony, Sakura went to join Ino and Hinata in Suna. Naruto had protested a lot when he heard about her leaving, but there wasn't anything he could do. He wanted to throw a fit at Tsunade, but Sakura told him that the Hokage wouldn't make him a chuunin if he did. That shut Naruto up.

Shikamaru recalled the day of Sakura's departure. The timing was perfect, seeing as she would have company during the whole journey as Temari and the rest of the Suna-nins were heading back home. Shikamaru could tell Sakura was excited to go (and relieved to be free at last from Naruto's bitching and Sasuke's 'mournful' look), but she also appeared sad, when she bade him goodbye.

"Tell Ino I say hi, okay?" he'd said. He didn't mean to see her off, but sending Temari meant sending her, too.

Sakura nodded. Her face was hard. Shikamaru felt a tiny bit of sadness himself as he watched her with her backpack, ready for the journey. Sakura had been with them since Ino's first morning sickness. Now, she was going to leave, as if she was erasing all the memories of what they'd gone through the past months.

"I will," Sakura confirmed, taking in his dull face. "Will you be okay?"

Shikamaru chuckled darkly, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets. "Do I look like I don't know how to take care of myself? Don't worry, I'm alright."

Sakura finally smiled. "Maybe you should take a breather, too."

"You mean go on a mission? That's hardly a breather, Sakura. Too troublesome."

"But it could take your mind off things, rather than being stuck in this village."

"I don't have things on my mind other than the Chuunin Exam crap," he lied. "and thank goodness it's over now."

"Oh, really? But you do, Shikamaru. You _miss_ Ino. I don't believe that the loss didn't have any impact on you. You just appear to be strong in front of her, right?"

Sure, he did feel some sort of agony (mostly from seeing Ino's breakdown), but honestly, he almost felt _relief_ at the loss of their baby. But when Sakura pointed it out bluntly like that, Ino's broken-heartedness resurfaced in his mind. As he remembered the sound of her crying that night, somewhere far, deep inside his heart, a hidden feeling materialized.

Shikamaru felt a sudden lump in his throat. He swallowed hard.

"See?" Sakura eyed him carefully. "Take a mission or two. Get out of this village, far from here. Clear your mind and come back as a new person."

Shikamaru stared at her for a long time, contemplating. "I'll think about it," he finally said.

"That's best, trust me. Like Ino, you need to move on from this." Sakura patted his shoulder. "I gotta go."

They both saw a blonde jounin in black yukata was waiting at the end of the street, her foot tapping on the pavement impatiently. Her sea-green eyes were on them, her full lips pouted a bit. A few others waited behind her quietly.

Shikamaru focused on Temari's expression. "Hey, is she mad at me?"

"Why would she be mad at you?"

"I don't know…for stalling you?"

"Nah, Naruto talked to me for almost half an hour but she was cool with it." Sakura stole a glance at the Suna kunoichi and cringed. "Or maybe it's _me_."

But Shikamaru still felt uneasy. The sharp look was directed exactly at him and not Sakura, and he didn't know _why_.

Did Temari want a goodbye from him? Well, that would be weird, considering how they reacted to each other during the exam period.

"I'm delaying them," Sakura sounded worried. "I think I'd better go now."

"Wait!" Shikamaru half-shouted, and then pulled out his right hand to scratch at his neck. Temari was forgotten. His eyes didn't meet Sakura's when he mumbled, "…Tell Ino I missed her."

"What?"

"Never mind."

Sakura smirked at Shikamaru's sudden blush.

"Alright then."

"Alright what?"

"That you missed Ino. I'll tell her."

His blush deepened. "And remind her to behave."

"What do you mean?" Sakura shot him a confused look.

"Oh, she'll understand."

Sakura stared at him for a while, her eyes full of curiosity. But at last she shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. I'll pass on the message. Goodbye, Shikamaru."

* * *

The day was cloudless.

Shikamaru shielded his eyes. The blue sky was blinding him. The sun was high above his head shone brightly. It was unusually hot that day. Perspiration started forming underneath his clothes; he was wearing black, after all. With a sigh, he unzipped his green vest. Better.

It was his day off and he had been watching clouds (or rather, sky) since early morning. He didn't know why; it just seemed such a perfect thing to do. Clouds always cleared his mind, but not today, for there weren't any clouds present to watch. And the more he stared at the blue sky, the more his chest tightened as he remembered someone.

As soon as the bitter feeling reemerged, Shikamaru quickly eased it away. His mind instantly flew to the big gate of Konoha, which could be seen from his current place if he wasn't too lazy to get up. And that reminded him of the real reason he came all the way up there.

Today was the day. It was only a matter of time.

He knew about their homecoming a few days before their exact arrival. The Suna-nin had finished their work in Konoha almost a week ago, and now they were on their journey home. So, naturally, the team from Konoha was heading home as well. Shikamaru had waited so long for this day to come.

Not long after, Choji joined him, a bag of chips with him, munching as usual. He took his place on the wooden plank beside him and kept his gaze straight ahead.

"So they're coming back today, huh?" His eyes were busily scanning for familiar figures amongst the civilians that were coming through the gate.

Shikamaru nodded quietly.

"I wonder how she's doing. She's been gone for so long. I kinda miss her."

That, Shikamaru thought, was an understatement.

"No clouds today," Choji noted. The sun shone brightly up in the sky. It seemed like it knew Ino was coming home, wanting to welcome her with its bright rays. But the heat was almost unbearable. Soon, Choji found himself loosening the metal armor he wore. He turned his stare to the gate again and stayed that way, as he munched on his chips. After several long minutes (or perhaps it had already been hours), he suddenly tensed.

"Shikamaru…" He muttered as his eyes caught the sight of three familiar figures nearing the gate. "I think…I think they're here."

Shikamaru quickly jerked up and followed his best friend's gaze. He then let out a long heavy sigh.

Finally, _finally_, his patience was rewarded.

Choji got up from his seat and went near the railing. Shikamaru followed suit. From afar, he saw the trio walking into the village. They seemed to be greeting all the people they met. It was like when Naruto came back after nearly three years after spending his time traveling with Jiraiya.

He could see Sakura was leading the way, with Hinata by her side. They didn't seem to have changed much at all, except both had sun-kissed skin. Sakura still had the short pink hair and her outfit was still the sleeveless red shirt. Hinata was also the same. Her attire didn't change; only the heavy jacket was unzipped a little bit lower than usual because of the heat. Her dark hair was still long and straight. They both carried a medium-sized parcel each, which Shikamaru guessed contained samples of Suna's exotic herbs and plants, plus identical grins on their faces.

And behind the two was Ino.

Choji stole a glance at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive," Shikamaru muttered quietly.

That wasn't a lie.

Choji grinned and patted him on the back. "Let's go get her."

Without wasting time, Shikamaru hopped down to the lower roofs and to the ground, with Choji in tow.

From a distance, Ino looked just like she was before: hair in her usual ponytail and purple outfit. However, as he got closer, he noticed the changes.

Three years worked wonders on her. She was tanned, her skin flawless and glowing. She was not as skinny as she had been before she became pregnant, but her body was toned nicely. In fact, she looked more attractive with a little extra meat on her. Spending so much time under the hot Suna atmosphere had brought highlights to her blond hair, making the fine strands shinier. She looked really healthy, and judging from the smile plastered on her face, she was clearly happy. She was healed from whatever experience she had before and had come back a new person.

She came back as a better Ino, just like she promised him.

And seeing her was like seeing a thousand clouds on a warm sunny day. Shikamaru felt alive, restored, in a way that he never felt before.

"She looks great, doesn't she?" Chouji said from beside him.

"Yeah, she does." She really did.

She still had not yet sensed him. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino had come to greet them, welcoming their female teammate, so Ino was stuck in their conversation. Shikamaru didn't know what they were talking about, but he got the impression that it was all about the three years in the desert village.

He and Choji halted, watching her converse animatedly with the others.

"Dang girl, you look great!" Kiba was eyeing Ino up and down. "How about we go on another date?"

Ino giggled and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "You're too fast, dog-boy."

"Aw…come on. We had fun last time, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but FYI, it wasn't really a date. We just happened to be at the same place at the same time."

"It felt like a date to me."

"You're not going to give up, are you?"

"Not a chance."

Ino looked at him amusedly. Shikamaru stiffened, waiting for her reply.

"Thanks…but no thanks, Kiba. Not now."

"Sure, Barbie. Any time you want then."

Ino opened her mouth to say 'there won't be any time,' but a sudden change in the air made her stop. Someone was charging at them in full speed all the way from the Hokage Tower. Shikamaru saw a flash of orange and black and he knew who was coming.

"Saaakuraaa-chaaan!"

And sure enough, as soon as Naruto came close, he didn't waste any time in knocking the breath out of the girl.

"Naruto!" Sakura sounded annoyed but happy at the same time.

"I missed you! I missed you! I missed you!"

"Geez…" Ino rolled her eyes. Her attention was no longer on Kiba. With a hand on her hip, she scolded the blonde. "You saw her last month, Naruto. You made a detour from your mission before coming back to Konoha, remember? Come to think of it, you visited us every chance you got. How come you missed her?"

Hinata smiled shyly at Naruto's presence and childishness. Her face turned crimson.

"I don't know. I just do! Konoha is not the same without her!"

Sakura tried to wrench out of his grip. "Naruto, you're too, too close!"

"Let her go, usuratonkachi. You're suffocating her." A smooth voice sounded from just above the nearest roof.

"Sasuke-kun!" Both Ino and Sakura greeted him cheerily.

"Hmmph, Sasuke-teme…" Naruto scowled, releasing Sakura. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the one who should be asking you that question."

Sai suddenly appeared beside Sasuke. When they were standing side by side, it was obvious they really did look alike.

"We're here to get you, Naruto." Sai said. "We have a mission. You ran away before Godaime got to the good part. She was furious."

"Oh, bummer."

Sasuke shot him a pointed look. "I'll brief you on the way. Let's go."

Naruto obviously wanted to spend some more time with Sakura, but he didn't object. With a last longing look at her, the blonde followed the two raven-haired men. "We'll celebrate your homecoming once I come back, okay, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah, yeah…whatever." Sakura shooed him away. "Be careful on your mission!"

After one final wave to Naruto, Sakura turned back to Ino and Hinata. "That reminds me. We have to get these for Tsunade-shishou." She bent down to pick up the parcel she had dropped when Naruto hugged her. "I hope they're not ruined!"

"Well, we'll leave you for now." Kiba moved over, giving them space. "Hinata, come meet us after you're done, okay!"

Hinata nodded then proceeded to follow Sakura.

Ino turned slightly, starting to go after her teammates when she finally caught his eyes. Shikamaru's heart skipped a beat, wondering what her reaction would be.

Then her face lit up, her smile widened. She had forgotten about Sakura and Hinata and the mission report, because she was already running without even thinking. "Shikamaru!" She screamed delightedly. "Choji!" Then she was there, her arms stretched out as she enveloped him and Choji in a tight group hug.

Her warmth and scent awakened his senses, his feelings. It was unbelievable to feel her flesh against his after all these years. It was like being born once again, alive again**.** Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her on autopilot, breathing her, feeling her.

Kami, how comforting. He wouldn't let her go ever, ever again. This was where she belonged.

"I'm back." She whispered, gripping them tight. "I'm back!"

"Welcome home, Ino." Choji gave one last squeeze then let her go. Shikamaru, however, remained intact.

Ino looked up to his face, searching. Now seeing her up close, Shikamaru noticed that her face was fresh, bare without makeup, unlike before. Her hair was no longer iron-straight, and was quite disheveled from the long journey, but perfect nonetheless. "I missed you so much! Did you miss me?"

Shikamaru laughed merrily, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in three years.

"You have no idea, troublesome woman."

…**to be continued.** **

* * *

**_Tomorrow's my birthday so you better give me lots and lots of reviews! (glares)_

_Group hug with Shikamaru and Ino for:_ pinkatailmon, xxarmisteadxx, Ginriku, LixxyChan, Juniper11, Bella-Rose, Nemrut, Kiome-Yasha, Crimson Mystery, bluestrdrmr, Peach Tuesday's, tomboy14, MercyDawn, XFamousXLastXWordsX, sad little monkey, 93addict, ., nikole435, Lady Kenley, nazzy and jerkez, loaned, siny, tennisdork, aki-child, nelly101, LollyLilyRose, loves-emo-guys-with-hair, chidori532, UglyXXDuckling, xXxTrueXloveXisXundyingxXx, mieuwings, CrazyCLOUD!!!!!!!, Joy-chan, Christina, Little Queen Troublesome, mood ink, dramaqueen216, shyxvibrant-love, knotgrace, Gothic Queen, Elsie0o0, T34rSoFBloOd, Sonia, monikgrl and melissa.

_Thank you very much for reviewing the last chapter! _


	30. Party Gone Bad

_A/N: Angst ahead! (This chapter's theme song is November Rain by Guns N' Roses)_

_This chapter is dedicated to __**DarkXMiyuXhime**__ for being my 1300__th__ reviewer for I'm Sorry, Shikamaru. _

_Beta by __**For the 19**__**th**__** Time**__. Maidoari!_

* * *

**Chapter 30: Party Gone Bad**

"_When I look into your eyes  
I can see a love restrained  
But darlin' when I hold you  
Don't you know I feel the same  
'Cause nothin' lasts forever  
And we both know hearts can change…"_

Looking at Ino now, Shikamaru realized that he had made so many mistakes in the past. The biggest one was letting her go. He should never have done that. If he'd known the outcome of his actions, he would never have done what he'd already done. He would never have let her go to Suna. He would never have let her take the mission. He would never have let her heal – no matter how cruel that sounded.

Because if she hadn't healed, hadn't taken the mission, hadn't gone to Suna, then he would never have to gaze at her longingly from a distance like this.

It was his fault.

He should've known that with Ino, he couldn't use facts and figures like he usually did. He couldn't analyze the situation, calculate the steps he should take; predict the best result. Nor could he trust his instincts to judge and make decisions. He should've known that his sixth sense didn't work on her. It never worked on her. Ino wasn't a mission.

He always listened to his brain rather than his heart, and look what it had cost him. He should've known that when she'd gone to Suna, she was gone for good.

Gone from his life.

If he could turn back time, he would.

* * *

Ino fidgeted nervously, face turned towards the floor at her feet. She could not bring herself to look at Shikamaru. She felt so embarrassed, so guilty. She knew that she had made a big mistake, and there was no way she could undo her actions. There was no way she could turn back time.

She felt him, stiff beside her; she knew he was in pain. She knew, without looking at his face, that he was in agony. He was suffering, and it was all because of her. She had hurt him more than she had intended to, more than she could have ever imagined. She wished the floor beneath her would open up and swallow her whole. She just couldn't be at the same place with him, at least not right now. She needed to get away from him, fast.

Last night had opened the wound, the misery she had created for Shikamaru after leaving her birthplace for three years. Last night had also revealed a sleeping beast she never knew he had possessed.

She should be scared. Only Kami-sama knew what Shikamaru would do if he found out the truth. But despite all that, despite her fears, she found herself drawn to him, wanting him more and more.

How ironic, when she should be thinking about the nearest escape as soon as possible instead.

* * *

_Twelve hours earlier_

Shikamaru arrived to find the party was already going on full blast. The little house was bright with lights, with colorful lanterns hung everywhere. The sound of music was loud in the air. The delicious smell of food lingered in his nostrils, making his mouth water. He hadn't eaten anything since he'd come back from the mission. When he found the note was stuck on his front door, he hadn't thought. Ignoring his exhaustion and hunger, he'd showered and rushed there as soon as possible. The whole process was a pain in the ass, especially when all he wanted to do was just fill his stomach and sleep, but it had been two weeks since he'd last seen Ino, so he'd forced himself to go.

According to the note, it was the night of the girls' homecoming celebration, along with Sakura and Ino's housewarming party. It was held at their new house, one they'd just bought. The two best friends had decided to leave Sakura's apartment and move in together. Years of working hard in Suna had allowed them to earn more money than they ever had before, because not only had they done research on Suna's exotic plants, they had also done a few side missions with their fellow Suna comrades – with the Hokage's permission, of course. Ino and Sakura had saved up enough for them to be able to afford a small house not too far from Sakura's old apartment.

Shikamaru hadn't been there when they'd moved in, so it surprised him to see their new house. It screamed accomplishment in big, bold letters. Although it wasn't as big as the house Ino had always dreamed of, and it wasn't really new, it still had everything. The compound was big enough. Although it was still bare, and had nothing but grass out front, he knew that in a few more months that space would be filled with every kind of flower imaginable. He hadn't been inside, but he could guess that the house contained at least two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room and a separate kitchen – a typical house for two people.

He made his way through the crowd, passing many familiar faces, many ninjas and civilians all mingling together. He saw Neji, and the only reason he could've think of for the cold-blooded Hyuuga to be there was because of Hinata. There was no way the head of the Clan, Hiashi-sama, allowed his heir to go to a party (even if it was her own party) without an escort. Not too far from Neji, he saw Rock Lee. Shikamaru knew that Lee would go anywhere as long as there was anything that could be described as a 'springtime of youth.' And Tenten was talking with a not-so-familiar kunoichi. She must have been there because her teammates were there.

Shikamaru didn't see the former members of Team Seven and Eight; they were probably inside. But he knew where to find his old team members, and with that in mind, he marched to the buffet table. And, sure enough, his best friend was already there.

"Hey."

Choji grinned, munching busily. "You're late, Shikamaru."

"Yeah, Godaime made me stay for a few more hours after you guys left. How troublesome." Shikamaru picked up a sushi roll from a platter and shoved it inside his mouth. He looked around for a certain blonde, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Ino?"

"I don't know." Choji shrugged. "I think she's in the back."

"The others?" Shikamaru meant the two teams.

"Inside, I guess."

Shikamaru stayed with Choji for a little while, talked and ate some more food, before he got up and headed for the front door. "I'm going to look around for a little bit." Choji just nodded, but didn't seem to care to follow him.

The foul reek of sake hit his nose just after he stepped inside the house. A couple of older-looking ninjas had brought a few cases and left them on the table. Some familiar faces were around them; among them were Kiba, Naruto, and Sasuke. That didn't surprise him at all. Kiba was always up for a drink, in fact, he was the one who had introduced them to it. He was of age now, so he wasn't hiding anymore, unlike before. And it was always easy to influence Naruto, so the two were always seen together drinking on various occasions. Of course, Sasuke was there as well. The stoic Uchiha was rather immune to alcoholic beverages, so sitting there drinking didn't hurt him the slightest bit. Besides, it was _his_ job to take care of Naruto when the blonde was too drunk to walk (well, when Sakura wasn't around).

Kiba must have smelled him, because he suddenly looked up and met his eyes, and at the sight of him, he grinned. Shikamaru knew too well what Kiba had in mind. But before the brunette could raise his hand and wave for him to join them, Shikamaru quickly shook his head. He knew what sake could do to him, and the last thing he needed was to get drunk. He never was a good drinker anyway. He had made one mistake, learned from it, and had vowed never to do it again.

Ino was still nowhere to be found. He saw Sakura and Hinata were in a corner, talking with Shizune. Judging from their expressions, Shikamaru knew that they didn't want to be disturbed. Shizune looked like she was on duty; maybe she was running errands for the Hokage.

He walked past them, taking in the surroundings. The house was a mix of traditional and modern. There were two closed doors on his left, which he assumed were the bedrooms. The living room floor was made of tatami, big enough to fit a few cabinets, a square-shaped coffee table (where Kiba and the others were), cushions for seating, and some chairs. There was a sliding door on his right, which opened to a narrow veranda outside.

There was still no sign of Ino. Shikamaru headed for the kitchen, and then went outside. This was so unlike him, because he was more of a sit-and-wait type of guy. But he longed to see her, so he was not going to rest until he found her.

There were less people in the back, so it supposed to be easier looking for her. But after going around in circles, he still couldn't find her. Where was she? He frowned. Surely Ino wouldn't have missed her own party. She was the life and soul of it. Thinking that they probably missed each other on the way, he changed direction and headed for the small path near the greenhouse, which led back to the front.

Wait, they had a greenhouse?

Well, knowing Sakura and how she worked, Shikamaru supposed a little greenhouse in the back was necessary. She was remarkably dedicated to her job as a medic-nin.

It was dark all around the greenhouse and it seemed kind of spooky, so the hair at the back of his neck stood when he heard someone was whispering inside.

Shikamaru halted and listened. The voice was very, very familiar.

He didn't mean to eavesdrop on whatever conversation going on there but curiosity got the best out of him. It seemed like his feet got a mind of its own. Carefully, he masked his chakra and walked into the shadows near the slightly opened window. The voice was loud enough for him to hear every single thing. There was no mistaking it. He knew that voice; he heard it often. But there was no way that person could be in Konoha, especially right now. It was impossible!

The Chuunin Exam had ended over a month ago. So what was she doing here?

Temari was saying, "You have to come back, Ino."

"To Suna?" Ino replied, aghast. "Right now?"

"Not now, you idiot, but as soon as possible. Do you think you can make it?"

"Of course not! I just arrived…what, two weeks ago? There's no way Tsunade-sama would let me go!"

"But you _have_ to," Temari said, sounding desperate. "You have to try. Ask her."

"Well, I can ask, but I can't guarantee that she would let me go. This is such short notice. I can't leave, not now. What if she gives me a mission?"

"Then decline."

"You're crazy. I can't turn down a mission just like that!"

"Listen, I wouldn't have come if this is not a serious case. I don't know what else to do, Ino. He's sick, has been for days. He's restless. He wants to see you. He missed you."

Hearing that, Shikamaru felt like an electric shock had been run through his body. That 'he' didn't sound normal to him. He was like someone important to her, someone she'd left behind in Suna, who had gotten sick just because she wasn't nearby. Someone she _cared _about. Temari wouldn't go that far away to deliver a message if that person was just anybody to Ino.

Wait a minute, since when Temari and Ino were this good to each other?

"He's sick?" Ino sounded deeply concerned. "Oh, my god…"

"Yes. I guess it's because he missed you so much. I did everything I could to take his mind off you, but nothing worked. He wants to know where you're going. He asks about you everyday."

"But surely you tell him that I go to the place where–"

"Yes, I know." Temari said impatiently. "But he doesn't buy it. He doesn't believe me. He thinks you aren't coming back."

"But you know damn well that I will come back for him! Maybe not now, but as soon as I can!"

"He doesn't know that." Temari sighed. "Because if he knew, then he wouldn't ever let you leave, or he'd go with you. I'm not enough of a distraction for him."

"Oh, this is terrible…"

"Don't you want to see him? Don't you miss him?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I want to see him! And only Kami knows how much I missed him! But with my situation like this, with Shikamaru around, I can't…I can't go."

"You have to." Temari urged her, almost begging. "Please. I don't know what else to do."

"Temari…"

"Just see him, okay? If you can't come, then I'll bring him to you!"

"No!" Ino shouted.

"Look, if you can't get out of the country then meet him someplace. How about the village near the border? I can bring him there. What do you say?"

"You said he's sick. Is he in good condition to travel?"

"Give me a few days. He'll recover. Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

"I suppose I can't say no, can I?" Ino's tone was helpless.

"You don't have a choice."

"But we have to keep this as a secret, okay? I can't risk anybody knowing, especially…_especially_ Shikamaru."

"Relax. Everything's going to be alright. He won't know a thing, I promise."

Shikamaru stared at the dirt beneath his feet, letting the information sink in. He really hadn't expected this at all. How could Ino do this to him?

So she left him, spent three years in Suna, made him miss her terribly and now she returned only to torture him more?

Didn't she love him? He was sure she loved him.

She didn't exactly say it. But he felt it. He _saw_ it. He was sure of it. So, where was the woman he knew? The woman that made him promise to behave?

Where was the woman who was in love with _him_?

The thought of Ino meeting her lover secretly made him wanted to scream. Anger dwelled inside him. He almost exploded with jealousy. How could she do this to him?

Although it was unspoken, wasn't declared out loud but considering what they had gone through, Shikamaru was sure that he and Ino were somehow involved in a _relationship_. Yes, they were in a relationship, whether she like it or not. It was only a matter of time before it become official.

A red string had tied them since they were born. It was their destiny.

So, how come she _cheated_ on him?

No. She was cheating on _them_, both him and whoever the other man was. She was two-timing them both.

Shikamaru was trembling with rage. He knew he shouldn't jump into conclusion without investigating the truth. This piece of evidence could mean anything. But his tired body and raving soul made it hard for him to think clearly, rationally. In fact, he didn't _want_ to think at all. If there was a person who could mess up his thoughts as easily as this then it would have to be Ino. Kami, what influence.

Without his control, his chakra started to leak maddeningly out of him. He was sure the two blondes could feel his presence by now. But before they could sniff him out, before he could do anything that surely would turn the party into a disaster, he held on to the last thread of humanity left in him and walked away.

* * *

Temari wasn't invited to the party. In fact, Ino hadn't expected to see her at all. That night, Temari appeared out of nowhere like her jutsu, as sudden as the wind blows. She came to deliver a message to her, about someone she left behind in Suna. He appeared to be sick from missing her and Temari requested that she see him as soon as possible. She soon left after exchanging news about Suna and him and making plans for their next meeting.

By the time Ino rejoined the party, the crowd had lessened. Some had gone home and some had probably had a sudden call from the Hokage. There weren't anymore groups of people talking and hanging out, only a few couples remained who appeared to be kissing in some dark corners. Ino smiled at the sight and could only hope that none of them were crashing her bedroom for quickies.

As she neared the back door, she thought about what she and Temari had discussed back in the greenhouse. The subject of 'him' worried her a lot. She was notprepared for this. She still had a lot of things in Konoha to settle before she could think of anything else. She had to balance her life and get things back in motion again with Shikamaru.

She had only seen him once, since she gotten back and their moment together was not long. The Hokage had given him a mission the next day after her arrival and he had been away until today. She knew he was back because she'd seen Choji earlier. They were placed in the same team for a mission. Choji came to her party without him, so she'd figured he was held back at the Hokage's office. She wasn't sure whether he would come, though. Shikamaru disliked events like this, especially when there were so many people around, all making loud noises. Naruto had been so kind to post the invitation notes on every door he could find using his Kage Bunshin (as a favor for Sakura), so many unexpected people turned up at the party. Shikamaru probably didn't even bother to come. He just came back from mission after all.

At the thought, Ino felt some kind of relief, but was disappointed at the same time. She wanted to see him and spend time with him but she didn't want him to figure out the thing she hid behind his back. Her guilty face would expose it all, and he wasn't so dumb as to not notice.

If only Temari had come a few days earlier, then she wouldn't have had to worry about this whole thing. Now how was she supposed to get out of the village without Shikamaru knowing? Even if she didn't breathe him a word, she was sure he would find out somehow.

Ino took a deep breath as the first wave of guilt hit her. Heck, she and Shikamaru were practically together right now. They had both made a promise to behave in their temporary separation. But she didn't hold onto her words, unlike him, who according to Temari's reports had never gone out with a girl during her absence. Not even once. She, however, had betrayed him.

Temari's news reminded her about that someone in Suna, who was as important as Shikamaru to her. Someone she loved like she loved him. She couldn't deny that her heart was already ripped into two. But no, she couldn't risk Shikamaru knowing that.

Ino quickly put her poker-face back on as she walked past the kitchen to the living room. If there was an actress in Konoha, it would be her. She assured herself that her acting was amazing and flawless and there was no way he could ever find out about her discussion with Temari or even the meeting with 'him' which will take place in a few more days.

Seeing a group of people circled the coffee table in the middle of the room, Ino felt a strange kind of déjà vu. She recognized the scene. She knew what the empty bottles meant. She understood the looks on their faces. She still remembered the smell. And it could only mean one thing.

Her guests were drunk.

Ino scanned for familiar faces and, sure enough, she identified several: Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba and…

No, no way.

It was almost impossible to miss his ponytail sticking out from the line of blonde and brunettes. Shikamaru was sitting between Kiba and Naruto and obviously he was well on his way to the world of the drunk. Kiba and Naruto looked worse though; they probably had been drinking longer than he. It seemed like Sasuke was the only sober person among alcoholics. He raised his eyebrows as he caught her eyes. Ino smiled, walking towards the group.

The guilty feeling popped out again upon seeing Shikamaru, making her heart beat faster. But she was quick at putting her emotionless mask back on. She calmed herself as best she could before crouching behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, I didn't see you come in." She spoke in a tone higher than usual. Kami, she was nervous. "How long have you been here?"

Shikamaru didn't reply. He kept drinking. Ino frowned.

For someone who was more than a genius, surely he knew how to learn from mistakes. She reached for the bottle he was about to pour.

"Why are you drinking?" No answer. "Have you eaten?" Still nothing. "Hey, are you okay?"

Shikamaru just grunted a response that showed that he heard her, but didn't want to talk. His behavior was starting to annoy her. This wasn't like him. He wouldn't be acting like this unless there was something seriously upsetting him. Whatever he was feeling, he'd always had an answer to her questions. He always had something to say, even if it was just a word.

"Is there something wrong, Shikamaru?" Ino tried again, in a gentler tone. In the past, she probably would have screamed her heart out at him. But now she was older and wiser. Three years in Suna had taught her many things. She'd learn how to keep her loud and bossy self at minimum scale, her beauty even, in preparation to be someone Shikamaru had always dreamed of.

He glanced at her briefly. "Troublesome woman."

Okay, she didn't expect that answer. His careless attitude triggered her wrath.

"Shikamaru, stop. STOP. You're drinking too much."

"Just let him be," Sasuke spoke smoothly. "He looks like he needs to get something out of his system."

Ino sighed. "How long have has he been with you guys?"

"Not long."

"Well, obviously he's not a good drinker." Ino leaned against him, her chest touching his back. They were so close but it didn't bother her a bit. The feeling was natural, just being close to him. She peered up at his face. He definitely looked mad, at what or at whom she didn't know.

Before she made another attempt to stop him, Kiba suddenly sneaked a hand around her waist and dragged her into his lap.

"Hey, Barbie. Care for a drink?" He grinned. His breath reeked of sake. He was totally drunk.

"Kiba? What are you doing? Let me go!"

"Aw…come on. Just one drink, okay?"

"You're drunk!" Ino tried to free herself but failed. His grip was incredibly tight. Ino looked helplessly at Shikamaru. His dark eyes bored into hers. "Don't just stare at me, Shikamaru. Help me!"

But he just looked at her without interest, drinking non-stop. He didn't even move when Kiba tried to kiss her. "Shikamaru!"

"Hey, hey, hey. What's going on?" Sakura came hurriedly to them. She saw her best friend was practically being molested by the drunken ninja. "Oh, my god! This is getting out of hand. We have to end this party, fast." Using her super strength, she released Ino from Kiba's death grip. "I've already told the people outside that this party is over. Now we have to get them" – she gestured the drunkards – "out _now_."

"Where's Choji?" Ino asked when Shikamaru wouldn't budge. "I need help. He has to get Shikamaru home."

"Who says I'm going home?" Shikamaru said as he studied Ino from the rim of his glass. She was getting blurrier and blurrier as more drinks went down his throat. If he wasn't careful, he could pass out any time. But he just couldn't stop himself from filling his glass again. The pain in his heart was still aching.

It was ironic; how time could easily change the bliss he felt upon seeing her for the first time in three years to the agony he felt right now.

Ino ignored him and stood. "I'm going to find Choji."

"Forget that, he's already too gone." Sakura took several people off the floor and tossed them out the door. "He ate too much. I think his stomach is upset."

"Again?" Ino smacked her forehead. Sakura nodded. "Yeah, Hinata and Neji are on their way to the hospital with him, I think."

"Now what am I gonna do?"

"Ask the rest to leave and clean up the mess." Sakura hauled Naruto to his feet and pushed him into Sasuke's arms. "Can you take him back, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke returned Naruto to Sakura. "I don't want him to puke on me."

Sakura glared at him. "Okay, fine. But could you at least stay and help Ino?"

"No."

"Can you at least clear up the people for me? _Please?_" Her puppy eyes didn't work on him but she did it anyway.

The Sharingan user sighed, but finally nodded. After watching Sasuke told the remaining party people to go home rather rudely, Sakura turned back to her best friend. "Ino, can I trust you to clean up this place?"

Ino looked around the almost empty house and to the chaos she was left with. She shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay, I'm going to take him home."

"But Sakura-chaan…" Naruto swayed against Sakura. "I don't want to go home. You haven't drunk with me yet…"

Sakura took his glass and swallowed the remaining sake in one gulp in front of his eyes. "There, Naruto. Can I take you home now?"

"Suuure…if that's what you want." Naruto smiled cutely at her. Sakura hurriedly dragged him away.

Ino bent down and started collecting whatever didn't belong on the floor. Shikamaru watched her quietly from his seat. His eyes travelled from Ino's flushed face and tousled hair to the curve of her neck and down to the little bit of exposed skin on her back. The smooth skin in the color of pale honey was very inviting. His mind flew instantly to the guy in Suna before he could stop himself.

Had he ever touched her there, Shikamaru wondered. Had he ever touched her the way he himself had touched her? Had he ever kissed her? Made love to her? It drove him crazy to think about the possibilities.

The alcohol in his bloodstream created a frenzy in his troubled mind. He was drowning in his own nightmarish thoughts.

Ino moved beside Shikamaru and was about to collect the empty sake bottles when he grabbed her wrist. His grip on her was tight. She turned her face immediately at him. His eyes were smoldering, which she assumed in anger but there was also something else in there.

"Which one is your room?" He asked in a dangerous tone.

Startled, Ino could only point at one of the doors. "On the right," she answered with big eyes, breathlessly. What happened next happened so fast, she couldn't even react.

Shikamaru stood with the speed of a ninja, pulling her with him together to her feet. Her body bumped hard against him, but he didn't seem to care whether he hurt her or not. All Ino could see was determination on his very serious face.

Like shadows, they disappeared into the room.

"…_And when your fears subside  
And shadows still remain  
I know that you can love me  
When there's no one left to blame  
So never mind the darkness  
We still can find a way  
'Cause nothin' lasts forever…"_

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Oh, please don't shoot me._

_Shikamaru/Ino robots (like in Zettai Kareshi) for: pinktailmon, Rikarox, WolfFlowerz, greensapphire, XFamousXLastXWordsX, aki-child, Shizuka Taiyou, For the 19__th__ Time, bluestrdrmr, sad little monkey, nikole435, T34rS0FBLoOd, JaliceLove, mood ink, Nemrut, milkahasii, monikgrl, xXxTrueXLoveXisXundyingxXx, A Romantic Narutard, siny, melissa, DarkXMiyuXhime, loaned, x0x, chidori532 and Rangiku Matsumoto._

_Thank you very much for (the birthday wishes and) reviewing the last chapter!!! _


	31. Confessions

_A/N: Late chapter. Sorry, readers. I have a hard time writing it, and my beta has her problem as well. But it's here now! I hope you will enjoy it._

_Beta by __**For the 19**__**th**__** Time.**_

_(Still November Rain)_

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**Chapter 31: Confessions**

"…_I know it's hard to keep an open heart  
When even friends seem out to harm you_  
_But if you could heal a broken heart__  
Wouldn't time be out to charm you__…"_

If the arms that wrapped around her were the arms of a stranger – like what had happened with Kiba earlier – then Ino would have been terrified. But they were Shikamaru's, so there was nothing to worry about. She was so used to his touch that she didn't feel the slightest bit of fear. His hold felt as comfortable and safe as it always had.

That was why when they arrived in her room, Ino didn't try to wrestle out of his arms and give him a good punch for handling her body. Nor didn't she protest when he pinned her roughly against the wall. Fear never came, because this was Shikamaru, and she knew that he would never, ever hurt her.

But when he leaned forward, looming over her, when she felt his hot, harsh breathing against her lips, Ino's heart began to beat faster. To her surprise, she was nervous. This Shikamaru in front of her was just so intimidating. Ino didn't know what she should do, or how she should respond. Even when he put a leg between her knees, invading personal space, she found herself unable to move, unable to do anything except continue breathing. It was almost like being trapped in his shadow jutsu.

With him standing so close, Ino noticed that Shikamaru had grown a lot taller. She was quite a tall girl herself, but he still towered over her. She had to raise her head to look at him. But with his head bowed low, and with darkness surrounding them, his face was shadowed. Ino couldn't tell what he was feeling, let alone figure out what was going on inside his head.

Ino could feel that his eyes were not on hers, nor any part of her body; he kept his gaze firmly on the tiny spot on the wall near her neck. His jaw was clenched tight, proof that he was trying his best not to lose himself in an alcoholic frenzy. But clearly, he was already lost.

Her anxiety went up another notch when Shikamaru suddenly moved to her right and pressed his nose against the soft skin of her neck, near a spot he had been eyeing earlier. It lingered there for a few seconds before it traveled down to her collarbone and then over to the other side of her neck, and then back up, stopping near her ear. His lips never made contact with her skin; he only took in her scent, but the path he left made her skin feel like it was on fire.

Against her will, Ino started to tremble. No, she was not _scared_. That was ridiculous. Shikamaru never scared her.

But then he did something unexpected, something that almost made her heart stop beating completely. Something that frozen her insides and melted her defense, something that made her feeling instantly vulnerable. It was one simple gesture.

He untied her hair.

A strange feeling of déjà vu came rushing back to her again. The situation they were in right now was so similar to that night, except at that time, they were on the floor instead of standing against the wall, and they were both drunk. It all happened with the two words "You're hot," and she had responded eagerly. He had taken her hair down while they were kissing and her clothes had followed next, piece after piece flying as they came off of her body.

And the rest was history.

Ino didn't know where she found her strength or how she got it back, but she was determined to make sure that the same thing wouldn't happen again. She placed her palms on his chest and held him firmly just as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing?"

Shikamaru pretended he didn't hear the panic in Ino's voice. Her sweet scent drove him wild. The feel of her soft, warm flesh against him wiped his mind blank. All he knew was a frantic desire swirling inside of him telling him to touch her, to make love to her.

He knew what was going to happen the moment he let Kiba and Naruto persuaded him to join them; he'd predicted his own moves. He knew that it was going to end up this way, that he would get Ino underneath him at the end of the night and savor her body fully, just like that fateful night three years ago. He knew that it was wrong, that it wasn't fair to her, but he just couldn't stop himself.

He was angry and hurt, and he felt so, so betrayed by the one and only woman he'd ever loved. Just the thought of Ino meeting another lover was enough to make him want to destroy something or possibly kill someone. So he drank and tried to forget the pain, to forget everything.

But even a genius could make a mistake.

Jealousy was really an ugly thing and the presence of alcohol in his bloodstream made it worse. It didn't make him forget. Instead, it multiplied the amount of the usually tiny feelings in him by ten thousand. It also maxed out the lust he was feeling – over which he'd had such good control in past years – to the point of overwhelming ache.

Now, he wanted Ino more than anything.

Boldly, he removed the barrier she'd created between them and tried to kiss her once again. But his lips landed sloppily on her cheek because she'd quickly turned her face aside.

_No, this is wrong, all wrong_, Ino thought. They weren't supposed to be like this. They were supposed to have a new, fresh start, not pick up where they had left off. They supposed to be spending time together in a fine environment like the old friends they were, not standing in a dark place like this. Their reunion was supposed to be all about getting to know each other again, or rather, getting him to know the new and improved her. So that he could like her for who she was, not for being the girl he'd accidentally knocked up.

She had matured into a woman, and was no longer the same bossy Ino, the loud-mouthed, troublesome girl he'd known since childhood. She had changed; a complete 180 from her old self. She'd worked really hard in the three years she'd spent in Suna, transforming herself into someone he'd always dreamed of. If he wanted average, she'd give him average. She believed she wasn't as pretty as she used to be, and hopefully she also wasn't as troublesome as he used to think she was.

But what was Shikamaru trying to do to her now? Get her pregnant again? Didn't he learn from last time?

This could not be happening.

"Listen to me, Shikamaru!" Ino grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "You're drunk! Get a hold of yourself!"

With superhuman effort, Shikamaru opened his eyes and glared at her. The glare he gave her, the oh-so-sexy, obviously drunk glare only he could give went through her like an arrow. Ino reminded herself again that no, she was not scared. This was just Shikamaru and Shikamaru would never, ever hurt her.

But Kami-sama, he'd never looked so dangerous.

He looked into her eyes steadily, his gaze intoxicating, smoldering with hunger and desire, and beneath all that, anger. Ino slowly felt the earlier sensation again, where she couldn't move or do anything except breathe.

She knew she had no choice but to put her fate in his hands.

* * *

Even in the dark and drunken blur, Shikamaru could see Ino was standing in front of him. She was pale and worried, but never looked so beautiful. Her hair was pooled around her shoulders in a messy blonde heap and her blue eyes were wide as she looked up at him. Her lips were parted, lush and inviting. Her button-down dress clung tightly to her around the chest, and the cut was so low that it showed a great amount of her cleavage.

He found himself getting hard.

Shikamaru raised his hand to her face, tracing her smooth cheek slowly with his fingertips. At his touch, her eyes fluttered shut and a soft sigh came out of her mouth. It was like music to his ears, making his desire more and more erratic. He felt her breathing become irregular when he leaned in again, wanting to taste her lips. But this time she didn't turn her head away.

Instead, she spoke. "Don't…" She pleaded in a small voice. "Don't, Shikamaru…"

Shikamaru drew a deep breath as if filling his lungs with clean air could bring sanity to his already messed-up head. But his attempt didn't work. He still wanted to kiss her.

He'd always wanted to kiss her.

"Shikamaru, please…" Ino begged again when he brought his face closer to her once more. "Please don't do this. I don't want us to make the same mistake…"

"Troublesome…" He muttered, breathing at her. "Too troublesome…"

"What's troublesome?"

"Holding back is." His voice was hoarse and didn't sound right at all. "I'm tired of it, Ino."

Yes, Shikamaru was exhausted, both body and soul. He didn't want to engage in a battle of right or wrong. He didn't want to think that this was a mistake at all. He had missed her all these years, and now he wanted her so bad it hurt every bit of his body.

And her betrayal still stung, still echoed in his ears. He had to channel his anger out somehow and he wanted her to be the one on the receiving end.

Because it was her fault he was like this.

"I'm tired of keeping everything to myself. I'm sick of hiding in the dark. I don't want to be a coward anymore."

Hearing the seriousness in his voice, Ino opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. "Shikamaru…"

"I love you," Shikamaru quickly whispered. He felt a huge surge of relief washed over his body, like a thousand tons of burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Damn, it felt good to let it out. He should have done this a long time ago. Funny it took alcohol to get that confession out of his mouth. "I've been in love with you for a long, long time, Ino."

_Oh my Kami… Does __he__ mean what he __just__ said? Does he really love me? Or is this another effect of __all the__ saké?_ Ino wanted to ask but her question died on her lips when Shikamaru suddenly bent down and kissed her jaw gently.

A gasp escaped her mouth before she couldn't stop it. As Shikamaru neared her mouth little by little, a shiver ran up her spine. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up and it only indicated one thing: fear. Yes, she was becoming afraid of his little intimations, but at the same time, something was heating up inside her.

She'd forgotten how normal she was.

"You're drunk," Ino said weakly. She ignored the adrenaline rush in her blood. She was starting to get dizzy. Shikamaru's touches, his kisses were intoxicating. And Kami help her, he looked so irresistible it was impossible for her to keep her eyes or her hands off him much longer. If he seduced her now, she would probably let him do whatever he wanted with her, gladly and willingly.

But she knew she didn't want anything to happen. Not in this situation.

"You don't know what you're doing, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru laughed softly as his fingers found the top button of her dress. "But I've never been so sure in my life, Ino."

Her heart was pounding very hard, both from fear and excitement. Ino felt the tug in her stomach, the warmth spread low in her belly, and the need to respond began getting stronger and stronger. When Shikamaru looked at her with heavy-lidded eyes, looking sexy as hell, she almost melted. She itched to touch him, wanted to undress him with her eyes like he did with her, wanted to feel his skin against hers. She still remembered what he looked like beneath those clothes. Muscled and tanned, sculpted to near perfection…

_Stop, STOP!_ Ino mentally kicked herself. She was getting sucked into his lustful haze. This was so immature of her. Where was her rational, her self-control?

She was of age now, an adult, way different from three years ago. As an adolescent, she had always listened to her heart, always jumped into things without considering the consequences. If she acted like that now, all her hard work in Suna would go to waste. History could and would repeat itself, and she knew better than to let that happen.

So she took a deep breath and spoke in what was her best business-like tone. "What do you want from me, Shikamaru?"

"You know what I want," he said. There was no hesitation in his voice. He undid the first button of her dress as smoothly as he talked and reached for the second. "You."

"You can't be serious. We can't do this."

"But you can with someone else?"

Ino's eyes widened. "What?"

"Oh, come on. You can't hide it from me forever."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

His anger resurfaced like hot, burning flames, shoving his desire aside. Shikamaru felt more awake as it took over his mind. "Quit playing games with me, Ino. No need to play innocent. I heard it all." He slammed both of his hands back onto the wall, balancing his body over hers, trying very hard to keep himself from hurting her. Jealousy soared up inside him, lighting his blood with fire, burning every cell in his body. "I heard you and Temari back in the greenhouse."

Ino froze, her face turned deathly pale.

"So much for wanting me to behave…" Shikamaru whispered darkly. "When all you did was chase men around when you get there. I thought we had something going on, hmm, Ino?" He felt her heart pick up speed and instantly knew that she was guilty as charged. "Don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. After all we've been through, I know I mean something to you. _I know you loved me, too. _If not, you wouldn't have asked me to watch my manners around girls…" Ino avoided his penetrating glare. "But did you watch yours? No. I was saving myself for you all these years, but you didn't even bother to think about me, not even once…"

"That's not true," Ino replied meekly, intimidated by his anger. "I thought about you everyday. I've missed you, too."

"Then let's find out whether you speak the truth, shall we?" Shikamaru undid the second button and her dress parted, revealing the white lacy bra she wore that seemed almost transparent. Ino gasped and quickly shielded herself from his eyes.

"You're drunk."

"You don't need to remind me."

"You don't know what you're doing. You'll regret this in the morning."

"I might not remember it at all."

"I won't forgive you, Shikamaru."

"I don't think I need your forgiveness. You hurt me, Ino." He removed her hands rather forcibly and reached for the third button. "You think I can't satisfy you?"

"It's not about whether you can satisfy me or not. This is just a wrong thing to do!"

"Wrong? Why? Don't feel like _cheating_ on your _boyfriend_?"

"It's not what you think." Ino said desperately. "He's not…he's not my _boyfriend_. Our relationship isn't like that."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say something about _missing him_? And _you're going to see him_ but _cannot risk me knowing_? What am I supposed to think, Ino? If he's not your lover, why would you keep it a secret?"

Ino shut her eyes tight. This was harder than she thought. "You've clearly misunderstood, Shikamaru. I can explain, but you're obviously in no condition to talk."

He ignored her then, and when the third button was undone, Ino knew it was pointless to fight. The Shikamaru in front of her now wasn't the one she grew up with since childhood. This Shikamaru was like the one she'd seen in the short, dark phase of their lives after Asuma's death: angry and vengeful. If he wanted something, he was determined to work for it and wouldn't stop until he got it. That time, he wanted revenge. This time, he wanted her.

It might be easier to just surrender to his desire.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I know you're angry and hurt, and for that I apologize. But please, Shikamaru…get a hold of yourself."

He played with the fourth button, debating whether he should unbutton it to make her shut up, or just kiss her, which would definitely make her shut up. He'd win either way.

"You can have me, all of me. Just not like this. Please, Shikamaru, I–"

"When you left three years ago, you were in love with me, weren't you?" He cut in. "Tell me I'm not wrong."

Ino looked directly into his smoldering eyes, wondering why he hadn't passed out yet. Looking back on the amount of alcohol he consumed, he should've been unconscious by now. It was surprising he still had the strength to stand up straight and speak his mind. And of course, he had to ask that one question.

But there was no need to beat around the bush. He'd known it all along. She swallowed.

"You're right, Shikamaru." Ino finally decided that lying about her true feelings could only make things uglier. "I was in love with you back then," She said, meaning every word with all her heart. "Even now I still do."

And that was the only thing Shikamaru needed. Once the confession flew out of her mouth, he didn't bother with the buttons anymore. He just tore the dress away from her body. His mouth quickly sought hers in a hungry, wet, openmouthed kiss, furious and wild; something Ino had never experienced before. It was dizzying and intoxicating, and it melted the thick barrier of her defense and ignited her own need. Her stomach churned and her toes curled in pleasure as the kiss intensified. He didn't give her a chance to protest, because he was giving it his all, dominating her in a way she never knew he could.

It was breathtaking, mind-blowing, one hell of a kiss.

When Shikamaru finally let go of her mouth, Ino was struggling very hard to catch her breath. But he seemed to have mastered the art of breathing, because he wasn't panting at all. Her jaw was his next target and he attacked without delaying, kissing and sucking all the way down her neck, and when he felt that her breathing was even again, he reclaimed her mouth, and then repeated the cycle. Over and over again…

Ino knew what was going to happen next, and being the sane person between the two of them, she should be the one to keep it from happening. She shouldn't allow his actions any further; like she didn't know the consequence of it.

But damn it all, she just couldn't stop him. Worse yet, she couldn't stop _herself_. She was already trapped in his shadow. There was no room for escape. It was all up to Shikamaru now, on how he wanted to manipulate her. She knew she could only imitate his actions. And it was too late for a counter attack anyway, because before she could register, she was kissing him back. She surrendered just like that.

_Oh my Kami, I'm losing it…_ Ino thought, but found she didn't care. _I'm really losing it…_

Shikamaru moaned at the feel of her mouth moving sensuously against his. She could tell by the sound that he was pleased she was responding. For him, seduction was a troublesome thing and he wasn't really good at it anyway, so having her coming at him willingly was more than welcome. He kissed her even harder and after eliciting a series of moans from her, he turned away from the wall, taking her with him, and they both stumbled clumsily onto the bed.

"…_So if you want to love me then darlin' don't refrain  
Or I'll just end up walkin' in the cold November rain…"_

…**to be continued.**

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_Shikamaru/Ino signatures for: kunoichihinata14, Gonrie, WolfFlowerz, greensapphire, Celestartial Blossoms, Skye-sama, hungrytiger11, aki-child, milkahasii, sad little monkey, Demonic Angel Clone, Jalicelove, Gothic Queen, bluestrdrmr, Rikarox, pinkatailmon, siny, mood ink, Hannah, Shizuka Taiyou, Anna, Rangiku Matsumoto, For the 19__th__ Time, CrazyCloud, chidori532, niknak5, PurpleHale, narutojazz19, LuvleeCookieChan, revenence, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Chibi Makoto, RetickLover, goddess-training, prettyanne, Wings-chan, micchi sakura, ShikaIno1, NarutoXFANBOY, Sharklover101, o.O Kumiko O.o, shikainofan2 and gummy bear._

_Thank you so much for reviewing the previous chapter!_


	32. The Morning After

A_/N: I hope it's not too late to wish you all __**Happy New Year!**_

_This chapter is dedicated to __**beautifulgeek11**__ for being my __**1400**__**th **__reviewer for I'm Sorry, Shikamaru._

_Beta by __**For the 19**__**th**__** Time. **__Maidoari!_

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**Chapter 32: The Morning After**

Ino woke in the midst of dawn, to a light snore sounding in her ear. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking the sleepiness away. Once her vision cleared, she realized that she was lying on her left side, in a fetal position, facing the room. The blanket was up to her chin, but it wasn't the source of her warmth; it was the arm that draped around her waist and the presence of another body in her bed.

It was no longer dark now. The rising sun blessed her surrounding with faint light, slowly lighting and warming up the room. Ino pushed the blanket down and stared at the male hand on her stomach, watching it rise and fall following the rhythm of her breathing. She recognized that hand.

She reached out her own and grabbed Shikamaru's and slowly removed it from her body as she sat up, careful not to wake him. He grunted a little at the loss of her body heat but stayed asleep. Ino turned slightly to face him and watched him for a while, smiling a little at the light frown on his forehead. The way he slept reminded her so much of someone.

Ino found herself bending down to him and her hand made its way to his loose hair. Out of habit, she began combing the soft black tresses with her fingers, ever so gently, all the while staring absent-mindedly at his face. She took in his closed eyes and his slightly pouting mouth and felt the familiar warmth spread in her chest. She remained in her happy bubble for quite sometime before registering that this was not the same person she used to perform that gesture on and at the realization she quickly pulled her hand away.

A fresh wave of guilt hit her in the face again and she gritted her teeth, feeling disgusted with herself.

She thought she'd done the right thing, made the right decision, but clearly she was wrong. She'd figured it all out last night. She thought after spending three years of isolation in Suna, she'd grown into someone more mature, more responsible, but the truth was, she was still trapped in her seventeen year old body; still selfish and self-centered.

Ino closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Missing the other person while having Shikamaru right in front of her was unforgivable. But she just couldn't help herself. Both of them had become her life source now. She couldn't survive with just one.

On impulse, she opened her eyes and slowly got up. Like every woman who realized that last night was a mistake, she wanted nothing but to escape. She didn't want to be in Shikamaru's presence when he woke up. It could be awkward. They couldn't pretend anymore, like they'd done the first time. His memory might be hazy or perhaps he didn't remember at all, but for her, it was all vivid, still fresh and clear in her mind.

She still could feel his kisses, his touches and the way he made her feel. Although she'd resisted at first but she'd succumbed to him at last. And she'd enjoyed every minute of it.

Blush quickly colored Ino's face at the memory, and for a moment, she was stuck in time as her torturous mind replayed the scene over and over again; Shikamaru kissing her, caressing her, fondling her, moaning her name…their bodies danced sensuously against each other, the room boiling hot like fire…

Desire pooled low in her stomach…

_Stop, stop! Stop right there, Yamanaka Ino! _Ino scolded her train of thought from entering the dangerous zone. She shook her head out of the memory. Honestly, if she let herself get carried away a little further, there was no doubt she would wake the sleeping man beside her and demand a replay.

But, no. No. She had to get out of there. Fast.

She averted her eyes and her gaze fell on something lying on the floor. Her cheeks burned even more when she remembered how the dress got into that state. Figuring it was too troublesome for him to deal with all the buttons, Shikamaru had ripped the dress away from her body. He didn't give her a chance to protest his method of undressing because his lips were on hers in a hot, open-mouthed kisses and his hands were gripping hers, keeping her immobile.

Ino sighed as she picked her torn dress, her bra and his shirt off the floor. She separated their clothes, folded his neatly and put it on the bed. She did a double take on her bra, noticing that it was ruined, too. _Such a waste of expensive lingerie_, she shook her head. Now her panties didn't have a match anymore. With a groan, she chucked her clothes in the corner. She'll deal with it later.

As she passed the mirror to get her things, she caught a glimpse of herself and nearly screamed at her own reflection.

Her face was pale and there was a light shadow under her eyes, and her hair tousled like crazy. But that was not the problem. She'd always known that she didn't look best in the morning. But her body…

She wasn't entirely naked. She'd put on a short nightgown before she'd gone to sleep, which hid almost nothing. Red-purplish marks on her skin were clearly visible; on her neck, her chest, her stomach, her thighs…everywhere. Shikamaru spared her no mercy at all. He took what he wanted to take without hesitation. He poured all his anger and desire into his actions. No wonder she felt sore all over.

She couldn't get out looking like that!

Ino held up her right hand and produced the green chakra, and began healing the bruises or rather love bites the best she could. She managed to heal most on her thighs and stomach but there was still a few left on her chest and neck. _No problem_, she decided. Her top could cover them. She just hoped that people won't notice if there was any that visible.

She took her usual ninja outfit out along with other things she needed silently, and tip-toed out of the room. She didn't want Shikamaru to wake up. She didn't want to face him, especially after what they'd done last night. She felt embarrassed at one point, but she also felt guilty to the max, knowing that he knew almost everything now. She'll get dressed in the bathroom and have breakfast outside. After that, she'll go to Tsunade and request a mission, anything to keep herself away from Shikamaru until the feeling went away…

* * *

Sakura loved her new house. It was small and the design was kind of old fashioned, but for her, it was beautiful and special in its own way. It had white walls and dark roof, big windows and a cute little verandah. The compound was spacious enough and the wooden fence was still in good condition. The previous owner seemed to like flowers so much; she could tell from the little greenhouse at the back.

That was the main reason Sakura bought the house. Having a ready-made greenhouse could make her job a lot easier. She didn't need to go as far away as the village's greenhouse to store any plants she needed. She could do it right in her backyard.

Sakura let her gaze wander around the living room. Last night's party had been great until her fellow ninjas had gotten drunk. She had left them for about twenty minutes to solve an important matter with Shizune only to come back and find them lost control; there was a fight in the front, couples making out like crazy in the dark corners, her best friend nearly got molested…

Thinking of Ino, Sakura let out a heavy sigh. Since her unexpected pregnancy three years ago, the blonde's life had not been running smoothly like it should. Not because Ino was a big gambler when it came to her life, but she tended to be so full of herself, so pig-headed that sometimes she was blind, ignorant to what was happening in her life. One case was related to a person's name began with 'S'.

No. _Two_ S's to be exact.

Walking a drunken Naruto home proved to be difficult after not doing it for so long. Sakura had forgotten how many stops she had pulled in the middle of their walk for Naruto to puke and when they finally arrived at the blonde's house, she had to nurse him before putting him to bed, and that included removing his shoes, changing his clothes and forcing him to drink water before allowing him to sleep. Quite a long time had passed since she'd left Ino alone to deal with the mess, so when she finally arrived at their house, it had been empty.

That didn't surprise her. Ino had probably sent Shikamaru home like what she'd done with Naruto. Sakura fought the urge to be mad at her best friend for abandoning her job before it was done as she looked hazily at the leftovers on the table, the glittering neon lights, the open front door and the chaos inside the house. Besides, it was too much for a single person to do all that work, her logic told her.

Sakura had been a little drunk by the alcohol she consumed earlier – although it was not much – because she was a lightweight. It didn't throw her off balance but it dulled her senses a little. Due to the pounding in her head, she had abandoned the cleaning up and went straight to her bedroom. She had stayed awake long enough to notice that Ino never made it home, but had she sharpened her chakra sensor a little more, she would notice that Ino was just right in the next room.

Alone with a man.

Sakura could guess what was going to happen if Ino spend the night at Shikamaru's house. Ino was a healthy, normal woman. How could she resist an invitation (if there was one) from the man she loved? Although Sakura fairly sure that Ino probably had learned from her mistake, it wasn't impossible that it could happen again.

But Sakura really, really hoped that Ino didn't repeat that mistake. Surely she wasn't _that_ stupid.

When Sakura woke up that morning, imagine her surprise when she saw that their house was surprisingly clean. After her hangover had subsided and her senses were sharp once again, she noticed that there was a slow chakra in Ino's bedroom, probably Ino herself still in bed. So she had sneaked in later in the night or early in the morning and cleaned, and gone to bed, Sakura guessed.

But the dread from last night didn't escape from filling her heart. Maybe it was true, maybe it happened again.

Sakura had many questions to ask, but she knew it was no use to barge into Ino's room and demanded her to wake up and tell her everything. Sakura really didn't want Ino to repeat the same mistake again. Once was enough, and it had cost Ino a lifetime to repent her careless act.

So Sakura brewed herself a coffee and sat at the clean living room, waiting for Ino to come out of her room any moment now. She didn't wait quite long; there was a faint noise the bedroom not long after, followed by some heavy groans and curses, and crashes then finally the door was opened.

Seeing who it really was, Sakura screamed.

* * *

Hangover, Shikamaru decided, was a real bitch.

Sakura's scream could have waked the dead. Instinctively, Shikamaru put both of his hands to his ears to try to block out the sound.

"Ugh…" He groaned at the hard pounding at the back of his head, which seemed to increase with Sakura's screams.

"What the hell are you doing here, Shikamaru?" She yelled. "And why are you _shirtless_?!"

"Volume, woman!" He hissed painfully.

"Where's Ino?" she asked worriedly. Not waiting for his response, she pushed him aside and barged into her roommate's room.

No Ino.

But Sakura's eyes were sharp, and it didn't take her long to spot the torn clothes at the corner. She picked up the dress and examined it, and did the same thing with the bra. Her blood boiled instantly.

_For the love of God..._

"Shikamaru!" she shrieked furiously and stormed outside, letting the pieces fall out of her hands. "You slept with her, didn't you?"

Shikamaru, who was now slumped in the middle of the living room, in the same exact spot where he had been sitting drinking last night, gave no response. His arms were on the table pillowing his head, his eyes completely shut. Soft whimpers of pain sounded from his lips.

Sakura gave no mercy. She shook him hard. "Answer me!"

He jerked her off of his shoulder. "You're loud."

"Did you sleep with her?"

Shikamaru grunted, searching his memory. "…I don't know."

"What do you mean _you don't know_?" Sakura hissed.

"I'm not sure. I don't…I don't remember."

"What?" Sakura was about to ask again when she noticed his back. She gasped. "Oh, my God."

"What now?"

"You slept with her." Her tone was confirming. "No, oh, no. Ino, what have you done?"

"What?" Shikamaru turned around and saw Sakura was very upset.

"Your back…" She whispered. And she saw something else. "And those…" She pointed at his neck. "Oh, Ino… You're so _stupid_."

He had scratches on his back, love bites on his neck. What could it mean but…sex?

"I shouldn't have left her alone with you. You were drunk last night. And she's not…strong enough to resist you." Sakura talked, more to herself. Of course Ino wasn't strong; she was very attracted to him.

Shikamaru's brows were pulled together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the sex, Shikamaru!"

"Sex? We didn't–"

"You were drunk! _So_ drunk! You don't remember anything! But I know—oh, crap. That's why she's gone."

Sakura covered her face and moaned. _Oh, Ino…you must __feel __really, really__ guilty._

Shikamaru groaned, massaging his head again. This discovery…the possibility worried him, but right now he had other things that needed to be taken care of. His hangover, the bird…

"Oh, shit." The bird. That was the thing that had woken him up. Now, what was the note say again?

"How troublesome." He silently cursed after remembering. "Briefing. Great. It's my off day, damn it."

He had no choice but to move his lazy butt, and get the hell out of the house as fast as he could.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," Shikamaru muttered under his breath. His hand itched; he wanted so badly to rub his temple. Although the aching in his head was not as terrible as before, it still pained him. But still, he remained in his posture, standing straight with both hands behind his back. He knew the reason he was there, though Godaime Hokage hadn't said anything yet. Another mission for sure. How troublesome.

On his right, standing no more than two feet away (much to his surprise) was Ino. She was inside the room when he walked in. Blue eyes widened as they made contact with his and he swore he saw a faint hint of blush on her cheeks. He thought about what Sakura had said earlier and tried to put two and two together, but… Ugh, damn headache.

It was too troublesome to think.

Ino was silent; she seemed oddly tense and was staring intently at the floor. He didn't need to sense her chakra flow to know how she was feeling at the moment; her body language gave it all away.

She was fidgeting behind her back – a sign that she was nervous.

And she looked like she wanted very badly to leave the room, or magically disappear if she could.

Shikamaru had the feeling that it must've been something to do with him. But what, he didn't have a clue. He didn't remember making her uncomfortable. Whatever it was, something must have happened last night that he didn't know about.

Ah…thinking of last night awakened the pain in his heart.

He only half-remembered the event. When he'd arrived, the party was already on. He'd talked to Choji, eaten some food, and had gone searching for her. And upon finding her, he'd discovered something that she'd kept secret from him during the three years she had been in Suna. He remembered feeling angry and jealous and hurt, and all he wanted to do was destroy something or hit somebody to ease the burning pain inside him. He remembered leaving the two blondes in the shadows and walked back to the house – for what reason he didn't know – when he should have gone straight home and slept, and hopefully, when he woke up it would be nothing but a dream.

Against his better judgment, he'd entered the house and decided to find Sakura or Hinata, wanting to dig out some truth from them instead of digging the truth from Ino herself.

Because he knew he wouldn't be able to control his raging emotions if he talked directly to her.

But upon the sight of him for the second time, Kiba grinned maniacally again and (with Naruto's help) Shikamaru let the two persuade him for a drink, just one drink, which led to another and another.

And he'd drunk like there was no tomorrow, glad for the alcohol now swimming in his veins that somehow dulled the pain he was experiencing in his heart. And the more he drank, the more he forgot; the less he cared about everything around him.

He knew he'd drunk more than the last time, because when he'd woken up the next morning, his head had nearly exploded from the hangover.

Even worse, he didn't remember anything.

Did he do something to Ino? Shikamaru tightened his face, thinking hard about last night.

"I _know_ you just came back yesterday, and that today's supposed to be your day off, so quit making that face, Shikamaru." Tsunade's voice broke his thoughts. Obviously, she'd mistaken his expression for annoyance. "But this mission just came up. I'm going to send Ino to do it, and I'm afraid you'll have to go along."

See? He knew there would be a mission. "Troublesome…" Shikamaru grumbled as quietly as he could. Tsunade shot a pointed look at him.

"Ino's jutsu works best with yours – you told me yourself – so whether you like it or not, you have to do it," Tsunade reasoned in a clipped tone. "Besides, the person who requested this mission is an old client of yours, so I think he'd like it very much if you would participate in the mission, too."

Best 'customer' service was really a double-edged sword, Shikamaru inwardly seethed. Money and trouble at the same time.

"I'm sure you know who I mean, Shikamaru, and you know how this mission works." Tsunade threw him one last pointed look before averting her gaze to Ino. "But you don't, Ino, so I'll brief it to you. The client is the feudal lord's nephew. He's here on a business trip and today he's going back home. He has a personal bodyguard and likes to keep his presence as low as he can. But clearly, a bodyguard is not enough, so he needs a backup. He personally ask for one ninja only because he didn't like bigger crowd, but if I send you alone, Ino, then you will be alone on the journey home, which is dangerous, even though I know you're capable of protecting yourself. That's why I'm including Shikamaru in this mission."

Ino nodded, understanding.

"You'll leave in an hour. They'll be waiting for you two at the gates, so don't be late. It will be two-day journey back and forth, so I expect you to be back the day after tomorrow." Tsunade caught the look Shikamaru threw at her. "Yes, Shikamaru, I promise you an off day after that. Dismissed."

As soon as Shikamaru was out of the office, he didn't waste any time before leaning on the wall and clutching his throbbing head. Having a hangover was such a pain. Standing was one thing, but walking was another matter.

Ino turned, already a good distance away from him. But at the pitiful sight of him (and despite her reluctance to go near him) she hurriedly went over.

"Are you okay?" Shikamaru detected concern in her voice.

"No," he grumbled.

"You drink too much." Ino sighed then placed her fingers on his temple. They felt cool and soothing. And before he could ask what she was going to do, he felt it.

Her green chakra was pouring out from the tips of her fingers to his temple, and a sudden, cooling sensation filled his head. He felt a lot lighter.

"Feel better?"

Shikamaru nodded. "What was that?"

Ino shrugged, smiling a little. "Something I picked up in Suna."

Shikamaru raised his brows.

"They like to drink, those Suna nins," Ino explained. "And they drink a lot. Apparently, they discovered how to treat hangover using the healing chakra so I asked them to teach me." Ino laughed at a memory. "Actually, it was Hinata who asked it first – obviously for Kiba, you know how Kiba likes to drink – then Sakura learned it, too, although she doesn't have to because Sasuke-kun is a really good drinker and Naruto, well, his Kyuubi usually heals his system pretty quickly. I don't want to lose to Sakura, so I learned it, too. Pretty handy, huh?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he kept staring at her.

"What?"

He chose to ask her directly. "Tell me the truth. Have we had sex last night?"

Ino went still. She knew that he would ask that question, but never expected it to be so soon. She blinked, processing her answer.

And for a moment, Shikamaru thought Ino would lie. But then she bit her lower lip and asked in a small voice, frowning, "You don't…remember?"

"I don't know." He groaned. "It's not like it's the first time." He saw her flinch at the memory. "I must've drunk a lot last night."

"You did."

"So…" He demanded the truth with his eyes.

Ino let out a long sigh and shook her head. "No, we didn't."

Did he hear correctly? She almost sounded…disappointed.

"But I have those scratches…hickeys…" He examined her then, trying to find similar marks. She had none.

"We made out," Ino confessed. "Quite a bit. Then you…passed out." Before we got to the good part, she added silently.

"Oh."

"So, nothing happened."

Shikamaru nodded. "Nothing." But it was so close!

Unexpected disappointment filled his gut. He had almost gotten her back! If he had been lucky, he would've gotten her pregnant again. Then everything would've been back where it had started, and he would surely do the right thing then…

Wait. What was he thinking?

…**to be continued.**

* * *

_Not too much of a cliffhanger huh? I'd like to think this chapter as a nice wrap for the last two chapters. I hope it's good, because I kinda wrote it in between my "busyness". Not really my best writing. Sorry if it sucks._

_New Year Greetings from both Shikamaru and Ino to: Rikarox, chidori532, WolfFlowerz, goddess-training, Wings-chan, revenence, gummy bear, aki-child, ShikaIno1, 93addict, NarutoXFANBOY, 342514, EmoPrincess21, sad little monkey, hungrytiger11, Sakura12, XFamousXLastXWordsX, Shizuka Taiyou, bluestrdrmr, beautifulgeek11, Celestartial Blossoms, Shera-girl, greensapphire, milkahasii, Tori Sohma, kngrulz, Aoki Aya, xXxTrueXloveXisXundyingxXx, jalicelove, loves-emo-guys-with-hair, shikainofan2, KoalaSnow, amalli, Gothic Queen, shikashadow, ImCutePoison, Riss, flare-hugs, CloudedSun and Everlite._

_Thank you so much for reviewing the previous chapter!_


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